


Locus

by Ijustneededanewname



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Blue Dahlia, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-12
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-03 02:20:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 36,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10233539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ijustneededanewname/pseuds/Ijustneededanewname
Summary: Erwin Smith is the commander of the space craft by the name of Messene, a warship more designed to travel and deliver goods to planets and space stations. On a particular mission, they run into a small gunship by the name of Qixote.Fights, biological weapons, and explosions ensue.





	1. Chapter 1

Space was the last place he thought he'd find himself working. Though perhaps on a space station, teaching children or perhaps being a lawyer or technician, but working on an old warship as it meandered around the darkness of space was an interesting change. 

An equally interesting chain of events leading up to his arrival upon the ship shaped how he fought, worked, and commanded the more than two hundred people among his spacecraft. Messene had become his workplace, his home, his comfort, and his way of life. She'd seen better days, fought bigger fights than ones between foreign space shuttles, and it was odd to think she'd once been immaculate and without a single soul in her beside her large engine, drumming away in the bowels of levels three up to seven. Messene was a warship of great capacity, though in this case, was. 

The old girl retired from joining every imperial fight in the legion when need be, seeing some of the oldest of wars and holding some of the most dangerous criminals in history as well as being the home to some of the most legendary commanders, captains, soldiers, and simple citizens in her time to being a basic delivery ship, though her shields and weapons were still used as the commander and crew traveled through uncharted parts of the galaxy, sometimes landing on equally uncharted planets.

She still held strong, for which he was grateful. Some of the predicaments they had wound up in ended in gunfire and heavy damage to the outer side, some levels of the ship lost even, though she was still able to struggle back to the main base Romulus, stopping in the docks to get repaired as the crew rested, some receiving medical treatment, one of his crew members contracting blue dahlia before they were permanently   
put on leave.

The commander praised that they were all safe currently as he shut his eyes to rest, though loud knocking forced his eyes open as his name was called from the other side of the large metal door. With a groan, he stood from his chair at his desk, pressing the green button beside the door that allowed it to open. His door slid open and a fist knocked on his chest.

"Hange... Hange I'm right here," he said and they stopped, hand retracting. 

"Sorry," they said, barefaced. "You're needed on the deck."

"What time is it?" he asked and grabbed his blue federal coat, the wings on the breast pocket in need of a quick cleaning.

"Seven thirty, bay area's time." they answered and he handed them a spare of their glasses. "Thanks."

Boots clomping on the tile floors, they brushed past several soldiers and civilians to the elevator.

"What's the problem?" he asked and they stepped inside. "Bridge." he announced and the elevator shot upwards.

"The tracker picked up a small gunship in what looks like sector seven, steadily going towards station 213. That's all I received before I was sent for you."

He gave nod, zipping up his jacket before the elevator slowed, doors opening to reveal he and Hange.

"Commander on the bridge!" someone said and all eyes turned to him before he nodded to them, walking to his seat, allowing the rest to get back to their work.

Seating himself, he looked to his old friend and trusted soldier.

"Alright, what did I miss?" he asked, brown eyes meeting his blue ones before he looked forward.

"Hange probably already informed you that the tracker picked up a small gunship..."

"And it was heading towards station 213."

"Yes. It had some struggles docking, and it also won't pick up our call. Now we wanted to brush it off as interference from the station, but the call easily went through without static, so I'm assuming they're simply ignoring us. And guessing on their destination, that this is a pirating ship."

"Do we know the name of the shuttle? And is it on record?"

"We do, and the name's on record. Quixote."

Eyebrows furrowed and his finger quietly tapped upon the armrest.

"That makes no sense..." he said. "Quixote is recorded as an expedition ship in sectors twelve and thirteen."

"I know. Quixote had sent out a brief distress signal before it was canceled upon false alarm. My thoughts are that it was canceled after who ever forcefully boarded either killed the original crew members, or is holding them hostage, I'm guessing in the transport hull, took control of the scene."

"How many members are on the ship usually?"

"Seven. Monday through saturday."

"How long ago did the ship give out a distress signal?"

"Two weeks ago. And this ship hasn't stopped moving, either."

The commander stood. 

"Get a shuttle. We'll be boarding it. Mike, you're with me. Hange, acting commander."

"Yes sir."

He turned, Mike following before he pointed to several on bridge.

"You as well. Get down to the shuttle base and get gear. We aren't heading to the friendliest of stations."

~*~

"Eh... Levi?" Isabel's voice was shaky.

"What?" he asked, hooking gear onto his hips.

"Last time we did a run like this, we nearly got involved with the military police."

"Military police were stationed in sector one because it's closest to Earth. They won't be here. They know nothing of this gear, anyways."

"But... What if they do?"

Blue eyes turned to her.

"Isabel..." Farlan said. "Just listen to Levi. And if he's wrong, then he can admit that you're right."

"Shush," he warned, crouching behind the wall where they were positioned. "They're beginning."

Farlan and Isabel followed, eyes watching those down below before Levi flicked a switch on his gear, pulling a mask on over his lower half of his face. The mask was leather, two small bronze pipes connecting in front of his mouth. 

He'd been asked about the mask multiple times, simply explaining that it hid his face when they did missions like these. Isabel's covered her entire face, a mask dully resembling a skull though it was made from pieces of clockwork metal and scraps, eyes pieces of large clockwork metal that she could see through. Farlan used a handkerchief for his own, wrapping it around his mouth.

Simple.

Quietly, the three watched the scene before Levi gave the command, hopping over the banister on the wall. Several feet before he hit the ground, he flew forth on the gear, smashing the stack of boxes to the ground where produce rolled out as well as mysterious bags.

Levi had been right about this one, and was also correct on which boxes to steal later on. Yells for the military police began behind him and he reluctantly saw himself finding Isabel proud that he'd have to admit she was right.

Whilst flying forth, the other two were quiet before Farlan gave a warning on pursuers, Levi glancing back to find they wore federation uniforms, several behind that wore dark cloaks over their gear and bodies. The few that weren't shrouded gave away that they were with the military police, though those in the back looked... Odd.

His brows furrowed. He wasn't going to let them get captured. Not with such valuable and important load to deliver. 

~*~

Blue eyes followed the military guards in front of them, hearing some quick conversation between the criminals in lead before he witnessed the evident leader twist and turn with his gear, fumbling the military police as he did so. It was almost with expert precision that made him question who exactly they were chasing before he followed after the leader, intent look on his face, shadowed by his hood.

He watched him then suddenly turn and land against a wal before pushing back, flying past he and Mike. Turning, he met eyes briefly with the other man, searching over his face and seeing the memorable mask and eyes.

The wanted criminal rounded back with his mates, the three flying past buildings, though he was directly after them, hearing them talking again before two split off, the lead darting through open windows and abandoned passageways.

Realizing their appointed destination, he rounded back to the other three they had brought, giving them a destination before he witnessed Mike struggling on the ground. He flew down, using his blades to block the lead before he watched him fly upwards at an attempt to escape.

Just as they reached the docking point, he saw the dark haired man running down the platform, evidently out of gas as he did so. He flew forth after him, seeing the back door of the shuttle open, blond holding onto a pole with one hand, the other reaching towards the other male. 

Mike rushed to tell the dock managers to shut the large station dock doors as Erwin continued forth, reaching out to grab him before he was pulled up into the ship, shuttle flying up to the doors, hard blue eyes staring him down before the back hatch closed.

~*~

He sighed heavily, sitting down at the grand table in the meeting room, rubbing his eyes. Despite the fact that he had caused three wanted criminals to get away, one of the four soldiers he and Mike had taken to 213 station and contracted the blue dahlia virus, showing early signs of infection in the dining area, which could easily spread the disease to all other passengers, no doubt starting an epidemic of the outbreak that could easily kill thousands, to millions of creatures in the matter of a month.

Quarantined, cleaned, questioned, quarantined and questioned again, he was set free in the station most beings go while on their way through sectors. New Athens-Elysium held the largest docking system in all documented stations, with more than a million shops, apartments, and a bustling community. It was usually dizzying to look up, seeing skyscrapers pointed towards you and people moving above. It was simply a ring of civilization, though large and worked well.

Erwin Smith, the thirteenth commander of the warship Messene, sat by himself in the great hall, reserved for courts for trial hearings. He guessed he was there because of his slip up with the criminal and the sudden halt in their progressive mission from sector seven up to fifteen. They'd gotten as far as sector eight before they were pulled out and shoved into containment hatches, sprayed with chemicals and compounds before water dumped on them, ice cold due to he sudden outbreak of blue dahlia.

A man walked in with a briefcase, walking to the chair in front of Erwin, slowly pulling it out, legs scratching upon the floor before he sat down, taking his time to organize his things and fix his tie. The commander waited patiently, hands folded, elbows pulled into his sides, pursing his lips occasionally in wait as his fingers made a quiet rhythm upon his knuckles.

"Alright," the man said softly and Erwin noticed black lines forming from his neck up onto his face. "I needed to ask you questions about the three people you and your subordinates followed through station 213."

He gave a nod. The questions droned on, clock ticking loudly behind them, to the point where they drowned the questions out, a headache pounding to the rhythm of the clock before he was pulled from the room by Mike, hair and skin glistening from the recent shower he'd taken. He wore the dark grey uniform, wings on his heart and uniform hat such as Erwin.

"I was notified by Carandiru prison that they are holding three inmates that were taken in after a shoot out with officers after they wouldn't state their route or business through sector fourteen. They told me they were in Quixote that occasionally traveled out of their sectors to bring supplies, and thinking nothing more than they were doing so before they got the notification that three individuals had stolen the ship Quixote."

"What shape are these prisoners in?"

"The lead is currently in solitary confinement and the other two are in separate interrogation rooms. I guess the lead was being difficult in allowing them to take his fingerprints to check his criminal history."

They jogged down stairs together before clearing the lobby, pushing the doors open.

"How serious is his past?"

Mike handed him the screen that rested beneath his elbow, Erwin turning it on and the man's history showed, blue eyes dancing across it as they walked.

"Several accounts of murder, ranging from third degree to first... An assassination, two accounts of arson and multiple counts of grand theft auto..."

"This man was born on 213, Erwin. Raised in the slums of it. I know what's running through your mind, and I greatly agree against it."

Sparkling blue eyes looked up to him and the screen went black, small smile crossing his face.

"Whatever could you mean?" he asked and handed it back to his friend before turning, Mike grabbing his wrist.

"Erwin, I'm serious."

"And I am as well, with whatever intention you accuse me of having."

~*~

Carandiru, a station floating in the brim of sector twenty, housing more than one thousand inmates, from the most small of crimes to mass homicides. The shuttle docked beside prison ships, several soldiers stepping off in their federal gear before showing badges.

"Commander Smith," a lieutenant said and nodded to him.

"Lieutenant," he answered back and nodded as well. Shaking hands was against protocol now due to the outbreak of the blue dahlia, everyone having to be careful.

"I don't know why you've decided to come here, even us guards don't want to be here," the man said and scanned his card, doors sliding open before they walked inside, hearing prisoners yelling from behind doors. They walked down a long, metal platform to a scratched door, with both human and inhuman scratches on it before it slid open, leading them inside to a roaring silence. The hall of interrogation rooms and solitary confinement.

The boots against metal were the only sounds as they walked to a room on the second level, guards scanning their badges to let the blond inside where another man sat with his head hung, black hair over his eyes. Noticeable red marks were on his wrists where he had struggled against the cuffs currently cuffed to the chair, a bruise on his chin and a scar on his neck from what he could see. A strong hand picked up a metal chair from the corner before he set it down in front of the table, seating himself in front of him and folding his hands.

Neither of them spoke for a good duration of time, leaving those in the room behind the two way mirror bored and a little on edge before the commander broke the silence.

"What's your name?" he asked, blue eyes staring at the man.

A small, near unnoticeable shift came from the smaller male before his head rose slowly, still hiding his eyes.

"Levi..."

"Levi," he tested the name out for a moment before tapping the metal surface. "Levi, I have a proposal for you."

The commander could practically hear Mike's eye roll and internal screeching from where he sat.

"And what good would that do me? A proposal from a man with a two by four stuck up his ass?"

"It'd mean that you work under my supervision, your friends included. Or, you know, the military police can keep you and your two friends."

The door opened and Isabel and Farlan were shoved to the ground, grunting and Isabel wanting to fight back. Levi jumped up, though the handcuffs dragged him back down. The dark hair now left his eyes and were hanging from the sides before he growled.

"Fine... I accept your proposal."

~*~

Screaming interrupted the peaceful room, dragging him from his slumber. He sat up, jumping from the bed before he pulled his coat on and boots, running out from his room to find several people dead in the halls, gruesome sight before him before he lifted his eyes, finding half the level gone, leaving him with a sight of an inhabitable planet.

Well, a used ot be inhabitable planet.

These monsters... These things... They were killing and murdering, easily dragging people from the levels of the ship.

And they were stranded here.

Gallons of blood was brought down onto him and he fell, coughing and hacking with the taste of iron in his mouth before a large hand reached down for him-

The commander jolted awake, blue eyes alarmingly looking around him before they looked up at Mike that was watching him with concern, Erwin giving a nod to him to get back to work before his arms unfolded and popped, legs stretching as well before he stood shakily, hand holding onto a pole centered between the shuttle seats, eyes closing briefly before he walked to the back of it, pulling a trashcan on the ship out from under the desk before retching loudly.

When he looked back up, wiping his mouth with a cloth from his pocket, he found Mike setting a bottle of water beside him, the criminals handcuffed to the walls of the shuttle watching him as well. He gulped the water down and stood before walking past the lead, the man sticking his leg out, stopping him by his knees.

"You do know how bad it is to let your enemies see your weaknesses," he said quietly, grey eyes throwing daggers.

"We aren't enemies, Levi. We're supposed to be colleauges now," he looked down at him and sipped his water more. "Since you've taken up my proposal, we're on friends terms."

A sneer came from the smaller man before Erwin kicked his legs from his way roughly, tired and genuinely too exhausted before he walked to the cockpit, sitting in the assistant pilot seat.

"Hey, Smith!" Levi yelled from the back.

"What?"

"When do we start training?"

"Tomorrow. You'll be receiving your uniforms and trainings."

"You expect us to go along with this shit?"

"Unless you want MP up your ass, I simply assumed you'd be more than willing to be on terms with me."

~*~


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi's first mission on a planet with the Survey Corps.

The fabric was cool against his skin, sort of stiff as well as he buttoned it up afterwards, eyes looking up from his straining fingers to the mirror, light causing glare in his vision. He pushed it away slightly, watching how the shirt moved across his body, twisting to the left, seeing it lift and show some skin as he did so. The dark haired man twisted to the right, finding it lifted up. In frustration, he shoved it under the belt of his pants, patting and pulling the fabric down until he was comfortable in the shirt, looking back up at the mirror.

His eyes followed the creases as he twisted each way and lifted his arms, dropping his arms and pulling the jacket on, wings on the breast pocket, colored white and blue. Survey Corps, venturing out in forbidden parts of space for the definite plan of death with each expedition. Despite the fact his living quarters were more organized, and the fact they were floating in the middle of space, not much felt it had changed.

Military police still found a way to patrol his ass, soldiers and others in the halls always taking a second glance back at him. Come on, there were uglier looking things on this ship than him, the things from Minikui, a planet found less than three years ago, were on the ship, and those things were hideous.

The second looks, he knew, were because his face was plastered across break rooms, bars, shops, and other place across the galaxy, looking for he and his other two friends. The ship was currently flying he, Farlan, and Isabel to Castra, a station meant for training for the military, mostly for the Survey Corps more than the MP or the Stationary Guard. This was in the outskirts of section thirty four, military ships built for training, and shit training camps, though they built the hardest creatures ever to fly, fight, or patrol. 

Many memorable names have gone through the station Castra, one of them being Erwin Smith, though he merely felt the urge to laugh as a rookie continued describing his dream to work under the orders of Smith and to work on Messene, hopefully on the bridge to be able to be one of the pilots.

Ridiculous described it the best, the situation he got into, the people he was now surrounded by, and the people giving him pointers as they left the docking hull, bringing him through a quick quarantine scan and thorough investigation of his clothes, where he was tempted to elbow someone a few times before a door was opened and light flooded inside, person named Hange beside him flinching.

A hand raised in front of his eyes, wind blasting past with the smell of wet dirt and light following before he carefully lowered it, blinking through the light before stepping out, seeing trees and grass, followed by an artificial sun hovering above them. His eyes followed each and every outline of a person in slight awe before he mapped out where they were quickly, his main priority before his arm was taken and Hange dragged him to his training.

"Is the grass... Real?" he asked

"Yep. Seeds were planted not too long after this place was built, followed by trees. Scientifically molded clouds also sometimes flow through with molecules of rain laced with-"

"Alright! Alright alright."

The gear was pulled on and the blades were pulled from their holsters, Levi looking over them before one of the three behind him spoke.

"Do you want to die the moment you step from your ship? Blades weren't meant to be held like that."

He paid no mind ot him, simply pressing specific buttons in an order before launching off, flying forth with a large flip. Whizzing past the trees was an amazing feeling, wind in his hair and a soft smell of... What he guessed was pine in his nose. It smelled fresh, not like compressed smells in station 213 or in shitty shuttles passing through sectors. This was different, like he wasn't stuck in a station orbiting a sector, like he was truly flying through the wind.

The man twisted and flipped through the air, remembering back to a quick training video with grain interlaced in it as the breaking voice of a android spoke of the Blue Dahlia and the terrifying things it could do, poisoning people and killing them before it lightened up to the day's training, which he could quietly hear Farlan mutter "What the fuck" beneath his breath before it ended.

Today was his training to avoid sudden obstacles with the anti-gravity gear, which he did so easily, avoiding trees sudden obstacles pulled in front of him by rope and machines, also avoiding a large robotic hand that swung at him, which he narrowly missed, but still did so, landing with ease on the ground in front of the commanders and fleet of rookies as well as MP, brushing past them to return the gear, small grin on his face as he left, hushed whispers spreading throughout everyone.

~*~

The mission. This morning. Set on the planet Malum, a planet abandoned by its species until creatures from all over the galaxy inhabited it to become the thriving utopia of scientific discovery and investigation until one fateful accident beginning in lab 9691 when two scientists by the name of Boyle and Galil broke a case of Promethium which spilled across the floor, first causing a terrible reaction to a creature from the fourtieth sector, a member of the Tribus species. 

Though that was one theory. Another was that it was purposely created to wipe out all humans and creatures spread across the galaxy, some believing it was a biological weapon created for mass genocide of multiple species, though there was no evidence of this occuring since no one was allowed to investigate Malum due to the dangers of contracting the disease. Blue Dahlia was a dangerous bacteria that could be digested, absorbed through the skin and breathed in, easy to contract and spread to others if no one had the proper ability of cleaning, quarantining, and some cases, killing though that were infected with the disease.

Most people thought that killing these infected people was easiers, saves their asses, puts the infected ones out of their misery, but killing them wouldn't solve the process. Actually, after the so called person died, their body would go through many sectors, many morgues, many steps to embalm and keep the body from decomposing before they were sent back to the rightful family and buried, touching happened a lot after they died as well, which could very much spread it as well. 

Now, when a person died from it, the body had to be left there, to be ignored in order to avoid massive amount of death and to avoide the oncoming genocide. And now, Levi, Isabel, and Farlan as well as other soldiers were going to Malum to investigate and document everything before heading back to their ship.

First mission was hell of one, honestly.

They landed on the surface in a shuttle, piling off in the less than comfortable space suits. Snapping on the metal plates was excruciating and annoying, taking up enough of their time. As they stepped off, they found buildings in ruins, some still detereorating as they surveyed the premises. Most of the group went one way to investigate the shipping dock while the others went into the main laboratory buildings, prying doors open with old crowbars.

The three of them ventured through several halls, keeping close with the group before he slipped away to a different hall in hopes of completing his mission objective. But, this caused him to grow lost, and in no way was there any aide in navigation. The soldiers had to keep quiet in order to hear for chance of life, and there weren't any signs or landmarks in the halls to lead him back to where he had went.

He hoped Isabel and Farlan hadn't had any trouble telling the rest of the group where he had gone, though it was technically against his orders to 'survey the premises' by himself with no others. The suit he wore wasn't equipped with tracking nor any sort of communication frequencies to stay updated with the other soldiers. Instead, they had been given the older suits since their arrival hadn't been expected and honestly, no one had a suit in Levi's proper size.

Levi had gotten himself into a suicide mission, though that was the price of being a part of the Survey Corps. He'd heard great stories of those that had lived, occasionally seeing few of those soldiers from time to time during his childhood and growing older, usually seeing noticeable scars on their faces, some with amputated limbs, others with only half of their bodies.

But, he'd mostly only found them in the mental wards of hospitals as he snuck in to get his mother medicine when he was smaller, or when he snuck inside to steal some medicine for the sole plan of selling them for money to buy food, clothes, and hopefully, water. It was frightening to see the looks upon their faces as he glanced towards them in their rooms as he snuck down the halls, past security. And honestly, he'd never want to hear the stories of why they were there, either.

The dark haired man checked the suit after he knocked into a gurney, falling back onto something soft, making sure there were no breaks within his suit. After a thorough check, he suddenly heard loud crashes from a few halls away, peeking out before pulling a gun from it's holster, holding it with both hands, finger on the side of the barrel.

Prowling down the hall, he pushed open each door with the gun, tilting his head to get a better look inside as the lights flickered above him. His head snapped to the other side, bringing the gun with his line of sight as he heard light footsteps run past on the floor behind him, a fork in the path. He carefully walked forth, against the wall as he looked down the left side before turning to the right, gun pointed forth.

At the end of the barrel, was a little girl looking up at him, looking innocent and scared as she cuddled a doll to her chest. Dark lines spread up her neck and across her hands where veins were supposed to be, dark eyes looking up at him expectantly.

"Mister...?" she asked and he stared back at her. He couldn't trust her, she was with no doubt a face dancer formed from the chemicals of the Blue Dahlia. If he gave in and pitied her, this thing could grab him and kill him, injecting him with the infection. "Mister, why are you holding that gun? I need help."

He stepped back, feeling something behind him and ignoring it for the sake of keeping his eye on this little girl in front of him. Her hands held tightly on to the doll as she watched him, tears brimming at her eyes before he lowered his gun.

'This is not a little girl! It's a hologram! A fake!'

Levi shook his head and raised his gun again, the girl crying though.... Her face showed no emotion. It was a blank slate staring back at him as the sound of crying could be heard between them, though it most defintely came from it. No, instead, the doll had began crying in pity and holding its porcelain hands to its drawn face, little brown curls bouncing as its small shoulders shook, little flower print dress waving as it cried. It then stopped, both the girl and the doll looking up at him as the face dancer realized its mistake. The faces became angry before the jaws unhinged to reveal three rows of teeth, sharp as hell and drenched in blood before a demonic screech came from both, growing louder and louder before Levi pulled the trigger, shooting both. He then ran as fast as he could down the hall, taking a sharp turn before bursting out the laboratory doors, landing hard onto the planet floor.

Dust rose around him before being blown away, the rookie stuck in the center of a sandstorm on the surface of the planet with no idea where the fuck the face dancer was, or if any others were prowling around him. He did sense something though, near him. He could barely see anything though, the dust also bringing condensation with it that blurred his mask view as he tried as hard as possible to see, constantly wiping the glass off with the padded part of his glove as his dull blue eyes searched the floor for something before his breath caught in his throat.

Laying on the ground in front of his feet was Isabel. Or at least, her head. The glass was smashed and her mouth was still open from her last moment in surprise before she had been killed, blood still dripping from her neck into the puddle of blood that surrounded it.

Everything stopped as he stared into her lifeless eyes, the storm only growing harder as he stared down at her, or more of, what was left of her. This isn't how the plan had gone, this wasn't how it was supposed to end. He was supposed to take out Smith, get their citizen passes and live on Earth.

The large monstorous thing near him turned its head, blue veins similar to the face dancer's pulsing with a dark color, bloodshot red eyes taring at him before it flung something from it's mouth, that something being Farlan's upper half, large intestine being flung about as he was thrown.

The eyes looked around for him more, though he had flown up into the air with the anti gravity gear, coming back down with the blades. He cut across its body and arms, the monster being nothing more than pieces before he cut the back of its neck, steam exploding from it, Levi crying throughout through his clenched jaw.

He stood in the muddy floor, rain falling down around him with dust wafting around him as the creature fell behind him, steady drumming on his helmet as he shut his eyes, head pointed downwards, blades loose in his grip. Everything within him sunk, a pain aching in his chest as it began burning at his eyes more, pulling tears from him.

Footsteps then neared him, the mechanical sound of a surface bot accompanying the soldiers as they arrived. He felt eyes on his back, knowing that the damned Erwin Smith was with them, probably giving him the same pitiful look as the others around him.

After the storm cleared and the face dancer's large body was nothing more than a ribcage, then did the commander decide to speak to him. His voice was really nothing more than an annoying buzz in his ear as he stood there, still loosely holding onto his blades. 

Why had he ever decided to join this bloody fleet of suicidal maniacs? Why ever join if the only fate for he and the other two were death and torture, a screaming pain following them throughout? Why join if the only thing they could ever have hope for was the hope of seeing another day? That was the hope on station 213, the hope if the MP would have captured them, taken them to prison. How was this hellhole of a life and devotion any different?

It wasn't until he heard the man mutter "pathetic" about himself being the only lasting one to stand did he pay attention. Many others on this stupid excuse for an expedition had given their lives for the sake of discovery and scientific curiosity, including the last two he would ever call family. The two the blond bastard had the fucking audacity to call pathetic like he knew what the hell he was speaking about.

Sadness flung into anger and he raised his head, then growling and swinging his blade at the man in front of him with such velocity that it should have taken his hand off, though it did nothing more than cause it to bleed as the man stopped it with his padded glove. The hand wrapped around the blade as he struggled to bring it up to his chest, at his stomach, hopefully his throat where the protective covering of the suit would be the weakest, though it held strong.

"I'm going to kill you!" he swore between clenched teeth, rain and blood mixing on his helmet before dripping downwards across the glass. "That's why I'm here!" he yelled, which felt loud and angry enough to shatter the glass protection.

The man held a twinge of casual tone in his voice as he explained the ordeal of Lobov, eventually revealing that he did indeed know why Levi was there, why the three of them had agreed, and why he had allowed the man to be in the Survey Corps.

This launched him into a craze and he leapt at him again before a soldier grabbed him and pulled him back until his knees gave out and he fell on them in a heap, arms tired at his sides and head low, mind reeling.

'Believe in us! We're counting on you.'

"If you begin to regret, you'll blur future decisions for yourself and allow others to make decisions for you. All that would be left then is for you to die. I cannot foretell the outcome, each decision foretells the next. We're continuing expeditions. I expect you to come with me."

As the commander walked away, there was a hesitant step as he noticed one specific soldier, a twinge in his eyes before he continued forth to the space shuttle. 

'He's always gazing up at something I can't see.' 

'Fine, I'll follow you, Erwin Smith.'

'And I'll never regret this decision, for as long as I live.'

~*~


	3. Chapter 3

~*~

"What are you planning on doing with the thug now?" the calm voice asked beside the window, eyes moving from the distant stars to the commander beside him in his chair, currently typing a personal letter to the chief of the federation.

"Same as I did before, Mike," he stated calmly and his eyes didn't leave the screen, though his head did turn to the side ever so slightly. "Use his skill and power to aide us in our expeditions. We've been trained in military camps for years, he's been trained in 213 by himself. That's something we can't throw away if he's willing to allow us to use him."

"You're admitting to using him. How would the man feel if he found that out? If he heard this conversation?"

"But he won't, that's the point. Unless I can't trust you anymore, then you're another problem I'd have to deal with on this ship beside Blue Dahlia and the ship's route."

The way he said it casually caused a feeling of fear to flicker through the other man before he crossed his arms and stepped forth.

"Making conversation and trying to understand you, that's all. You know I wouldn't defy you in such a way."

"I sure hope not," Erwin said and smirked, his typing never pausing. "Then that'd be a bigger problem."

"Why use this man? We have thousands of trained soldiers on all surfaces of the planets and across the galaxy in each sector. There isn't even one person that is close to what you see in this thug?"

"No, actually. This 'thug' is a liability and a promise. You've seen him with the gear, thats a huge skill we can't simply toss to the side because he holds the title of thug."

"He's killed people."

"And we haven't?" he asked and looked over, typing stopping. "Have we not killed, Mike? The only difference between us and that man is our backstories."

"You hired a murderer."

"Our federation is run by those, Mike, you know that. The galaxy is. You know why I'm here, on this ship, floating through the sectors and not on the surface of Earth teaching, living with Marie."

"Despite the fact Nile got her after you left."

"I left for the sole sake of-"

"Exploring for the answers of the galaxies and solving the questions that have baffled scientists and astronomers alike for years', yes, I've heard your speech thousands of times."

"You didn't finish it. Also offering up my heart and life, that part is the most important."

"That's also the part that makes rookies scatter off to Stationary Guard and the Military Police, Erwin."

"But, I'm honest. That's what matters," he said and sent the message off, cracking his knuckles loudly before turning in his seat and leaning back, crossing his leg over his knee as his elbow rested on the armrest. His old friend turned back to the window as they passed a station, seeing kids in the windows waving where he raised his hand waved softly.

"We're taking this man with us on our expeditions, aren't we?"

"An incredible asset, and a strong leader."

Mike stopped and looked at him, brow raising as Erwin pulled his fingers with his thumb, bones cracking.

"No, not a squadron leader..."

"I believe corporal is a nice title for him."

"Goddamn it, Smith."

~*~

The faint blare of an alarm pulled him from a haze of sleep before the commander sat up quickly, standing from his seat and pulling his jacket on before the large doors opened and he ran to the bridge of the ship, Nanaba at the door to greet him.

"Distress call from a passing ship known as Zaphod. There was nothing more than a scream coming through the radio before it popped and turned to nothing but static."

He panted, still out of breath from running as he gathered his thoughts. 

"Did you see anything as they contacted us?" he asked

"Nothing more than a frantic woman in front of us before there was a sudden flash of something."

His eyes looked to Levi that had arrived, hair tussled a bit though he still wore his 'day' clothes accustomed with his boots.

"What do you think? Should we investigate it?"

"Take extra precautions." Levi said and Erwin gave a nod.

"Gather your squadron, Zacharias, and lets get down there. Nanaba, with us as well and your squadron." he pressed a button on the keypad on his chair. "Hange,"

"Commander?"

"Stay here or investigate down there-"

"I'm going down there."

"Pick up any contaminated products and you're stuck on this ship the next several missions." he said and turned away. "Lets get to the transportation hull."

Aboard the shuttle, they found blood splattered against one wall, a warning for each soldier to equip their guns before moving forth, checking each room and taking care as turning corners, one corner holding a wall of bodies stacked onto each other.

Hange looked closer, scanning it before taking a step back as the device in their hand began screaming.

"High radioactive levels... Shit, Blue Dahlia." they said and turned to their commander. "The bodies are also... Connected. Like one big piece, though there is something retracting from the back of their heads..."

Levi pulled them back from it as one body began shifting before bloodshot eyes opened, blue veins pulsing as their eyes took in the group in front of them. Hange's device instead began screaming again, though an arrow on it pointed behind them. A slow shift of the soldiers caused them to be face to face with a group of drooling people, mouths frothing and bodies shaking as the muscles started to quiver.

"Holy shit! It's like a farm!" Hange yelled and the group ran down the empty hall they came from, Levi dragging the scientist from the mess towards the others by the wrist, shooting behind them at the beings that now bolted towards them in an animalistic behavior.

"Moblit! Moblit!" Erwin said into the mic and a staticy connection came through before Moblit spoke.

"Yes?"

"Unlock the shuttle!"

They burst through the docking doors and Erwin narrowly missed a sharp tooth aimed at his mask, scratching the glass as he slid on his knees beneath it before pulling a rookie from the line of fire, raising a gun and firing towards the monster at the corner of the hull, currently sitting ontop of a storage shuttle with it's teeth frothing.

His face was set as he fired, explosions and flares starting from all around them as the other soldiers began firing at the enemies, starting a light effect upon the man in the center of the group, his gun held high as he executed his mission with ease before turning and elbowing a monster that leaped towards him, a large paw smashing the glass of his helmet and scratching his eye before it fell back, dead.

The commander dragged the frightened kid from the center of the floor, following his soldiers inside the shuttle door after simply throwing the man inside, hand gripping the handle on the shuttle door to pull himself up before an infected one grabbed him, the commander easily headbutting it before stepping inside, panting and shoulders heaving, lights inside his helmet cascading shadows across his face as he looked around. His eyes did a mental sweep of each and every soldier, making a note of each before he pulled the heavy metal helmet off, his eye bleeding and glass in his hair before he collapsed in a seat in the far back. Hange near attacked him with cleaning supplies and bandages before Moblit pulled one of his gloves off and stuck a needle in the webbing of his hand to reach a vein, the commander showing no change in his face unless Hange dabbed his eyelid with cleaning alcohol.

Smith was too focused on Hange's tips until he felt the stares burrowing into him, turning to look at the group of soldiers sitting several seats away, staring at him in surprise, Levi one of them. He chuckled and held a gauze to his eye, head leaning back and eyes shutting.

~*~

The lunchroom never had the commander within at appointed meal times, his closest friends usually bringing food from the mess hall of the ship to the commander in his seat on the bridge or in his room later at night.

But it was a change to see the man clad in his blue uniform walking into the room with a proud stature, his hair gelled as it usually was and looking the same despite the white medical eyepatch, the ends of the wound showing. It would be one hell of a scar, and one hell of a story for anyone that was there to witness the scene.

Erwin walked to kitchen wall, a closed flap door in front of him before he spoke to the microphone, the small door opening and a tray of food appeared in front of him. It was something of a dull red beside a cup of rice, though the smell of it was enticing as he walked past, sitting down by himself in the far side before he dug his fork into his food, mixing it all together.

His eyes were trained downwards until a red tray smacked down in front of his, the contents being a sandwich with a few fries. A man sat down in front of him and picked up a fry, taking a small bite. Lips curved upwards briefly and he laughed softly through his spoonful of rice.

"Gave into speaking to me?" he asked and mixed the rice with his curry more.

"No, you took my table." the dark haired man answered and washed down his fry with water. "Anyways, since when do you ever eat in here?"

"Other rookies spread stories of me never eating?"

"I'm not much of a rookie. Especially since rumors have spread of you promoting me to corporal since your cold heart feels a twinge of pity for me."

Blue eyes looked up from the food on his plate and his chewing slowed before he took a long swallow, adam's apple bobbing quickly and he wiped the corner of his mouth with his napkin.

"What gave them all that idea?"

"Since I'm a lowlife thug and your mission caused my friends to get killed."

"People die in every mission, Levi. And it's my human nature to... Feel sorrow for a death under my orders."

"How would I do well with being a corporal?" the man asked and bit into his sandwich.

"You're a leader. I see it in you."

A snort of sorts came from the other man and he swallowed his bite of his sandwich with the shake of his head, unscrewing the lid to his water bottle before sipping it.

"Pretty shit leader, to be honest."

"I don't fully know if you're talking about me or yourself, but in both cases, you'd be wrong."

"I meant myself, you prick."

A half smile came to the commander's face before he took another bite of food, pleased the man was attempting conversation. 

"You have a harsh way of speaking. It's calm, strong, and gets things done. As much as you," he said with a nod. 

"Ever learn not to talk with your mouth full?" Levi asked.

With a quick swallow, the commander then chuckled, a low rumble.

"I have, actually. My father taught me a few things."

"Well you definitely didn't listen."

He gave a little nod before sitting back, sipping his own water before standing.

"I expect you on the bridge soon, Levi." he said.

~*~

An alarm buzzed on the main computer and Erwin tapped it while speaking with the squad leaders, hologram flashing onto the wall in front of them, Nanaba and Levi shifting away from its light and moving to the other side of the table.

"Commander Erwin Smith," the man spoke and Erwin nodded to the hologram.

"Sir, what seems to be the immediate problem?"

"Main sector Rose has been infiltrated by face dancers and large case of Blue Dahlia. Thousands are being evacuated and quarantined, thousands at the same time dying. We need as many soldiers here as we can get to herd people to safety."

Erwin stood and the others were by the door, getting to the bridge, Hange to the sick bay with Moblit, Nanaba with Mike to the pilots seats, Levi waiting for Erwin.

"Yes sir, we'll be there as soon as possible."

The commander shut off the hologram and rushed to the door, the smaller man following him out.

"What am I going to do?" Levi asked.

"When we get there, you and basically this entire ship will be in sector of Rose."

He stopped beside a keybad on the wall, a radio that spoke to each level and room.

"Attention, all soldiers, this is Commander Smith. We will be establishing ourselves in Sector of Rose, mostly known as the wall of Rose. It has been infiltrated by face dancers and creatures infected with Blue Dahlia. Save who you can, and protect yourself. This is a very dangerous mission, do this with the utmost care. Have a fellow crew member make sure there are no holes or seams in your suits, make sure your filters are filled with oxygen as well. All guns must be loaded and blades sharp. Make sure gear has full gas tanks as well. Be ready in ten minutes. That is all."

~*~

Fleets of soldiers emptied from the decks of the ships, onto the surfaces of the Rose stations, each of these stations joined by bridges. Soldiers moved as well as they could, following their trainings and the orders from their Commander.

The number of casualties continued being told to everyone by someone of the other fleets through their micrphones. Each person's heart rate was watched from a connection from their suits to a computer in the federation headquarters, easier to count who died or not.

So far, it was mostly civilian casualties until Erwin watched as one person was grabbed and hounded by those infected with the Blue Dahlia. Trying to get down there would probably kill him, so it was a better idea to save himself as the hundreds began piling onto each other to try and pry at the soldier.

Such a terrible way to die, but there was no way to save them at that point. They were beyond saving. 

Flying from rooftop to rooftop, the corporal then landed beside an infected soldier that was being treated by a nurse frantically trying to save him, though stopped once he stopped breathing, veins glowing dark blue before his eyes grew dark. The body then convulsed in waves before a flower burst from its mouth, light blue petals with a dark blue stem, the flower then growing and waving out before the body jerked forward, flower breaking off, the so called 'dead man' watching the two beside him.

The corporal smashed a button on the woman's gear and she flew off after being in shock, he himself stabbing the infected man in the throat before zooming into the air to avoid a face dancer's hand from smashing into the tile roof where he used to stand, the hand raising to reveal a blood covered hand and a squashed body of the previous Blue Dahlia infected soldier.

Several hours of struggling and aching later, he landed roughly on the ground in front of a shuttle before he was grabbed roughly and dragged to contamination showers, cold water drenching him and being sprayed at his nude body from every angle after he was told to strip of his suit and boxers underneath, panting at the sudden feeling of the water.

He was allowed back onto the Messene, now wearing loose clothing and walking down the unnaturally silent halls, still drying his hair as his boots clacked down the hall, heading to the meeting room where he had been told to go before the mission started when it had ended.

Finding the doors were already opened, he peeked inside, finding the Commander with half his face in his hand, rubbing his head with his eyes shut, other hand still ontop of the keyboard of his computer. The screen in front of him held a list of soldiers, heavily zoomed out to find red marks on may names. From every fleet, from the Stationary Guard, the MP, and the Survey Corps, each dead soldier from their mission.

No words were spoken as he stepped inside and walked towards the large screen, looking up at the names. He saw one or two he recognized, knowing he'd never see those people again. They'd been given to the hungry mouths of the beasts that struck fear into the galaxy, fear of these things causing riots against the capitols and inside the stations. This fear of the bacteria ran the sectors, which fueled the idea that this Blue Dahlia was a constructed bacterial infection that could wipe out millions.

The corporal looked to the commander once he realized the man's eyes were facing him, though more facing the high screen.

"So many casualties..." Erwin said, the blue eyes still staring up at the screen, fingers curling to a fist. "Half of them were on their first mission, too." 

" 'People die in every mission', isn't that what you said?" he asked, hands gripping the sides of the towel around his neck. "But it's still also your 'human nature to feel sorrow for a death under orders', right?"

A large sigh came from the other man and he rubbed the bridge of his nose, the medical eyepatch still on his eye. He sat back, obviously frustrated. Once his eye opened again, it showed true sadness as his mind reeled at the thought of how many died.

"My orders have caused the deaths of hundreds. Formal funerals for those that have died will be held in the capitol stations of the sectors and I hope for one of the squadron leaders to join me as I attend them. Now, I must send letters to military stations so they can be sent to the families of those that have passed. I do better with silence."

"I don't talk much, Smith." he answered, blue eye flicking up to him. "You know that. I won't disturb you."

A nod came form the other man before he began typing, gesturing to one of  the chairs with his head. He took the seat quietly, watching as the screen in front flickered off. A large book with a white jacket was pushed in front of him by the other man before the typing was resumed.

Paper book, a fossil by the looks of it, too. He carefully picked it up, eyes scanning the front of the book. A few good five minutes went past before the commander slowed his typing and looked over at the other man, finding he was stll simply staring at the front cover.

"Levi?" he asked and the man's dark blue eyes turned up to his own as one of his brows raised. "Do you not know how to read?"

The man opened the book and looked at the first page.

"I do! Don't make assumptions about me."

His eyes looked over the first and second pages, the blond man simply watching before the corporal looked back up.

"What?" he asked. 

"The book's upside down."

The dark haired man shut the book and set it down on the large table, crossing his arms and sitting back.

"Not everyone have the same privileges and opportunites as you."

Erwin looked down at his hands before up again at the man.

"Would you like me to teach you to read? I wouldn't mind."

A small nod came from the other.

"I had assumed you knew because you were so focused on the screen."

"The photos and the red check marks are clues enough."

The commander nodded and continued typing.

"I'll teach you later."

~*~

The room was silent before a buzz came from the door. The commander walked to it, pressing the button beside the door to see Levi standing near the camera, holding a tray of food before his eyes slowly moved upwards.

The doors slid open as the commander turned his back and walked to a table beside a large window looking out in the universe, the table complete with some plastic little flowers for the sake of familiarity and comfort, though he knew that the table was rarely used, the bedroom rarly used by the commander too.

He set his tray of food on the table and sat in front of the blond male, eyes watching him as he fetched some books and set them on the table. They both had small meals, enough to settle a small growl within their stomach's, though the day's events didn't fuel their appetites.

Fingers brushed across the covers of the books as striking blue eyes read over the titles, occasionally lifting a spoon of soup to his mouth. It struck the other as odd that the commander's eyes didn't leave the cover of the books, nor the words inside as he lifted his food to his mouth. His throat bobbed as he swallowed and Erwin looked back to the other man and gave a soft smile when he found him already watching.

"Here, I though you'd appreciate the idea that I didn't use the nursery's kiddie books."

Levi gave a nod, eating a small bite of his bread before they began their lesson. It went for a while, breaking through a tense air somewhat and lossening the angered and vengeful ties between both of them. The corporal had caused the other to smile a few times, but had no clue if they had been genuine and happy smiles. It would only be a matter of time before he would be able to tell with this man. Currently, Levi was reading a section of a book back to Erwin as the commander moved his soup around with his spoon within the ceramic white bowl.

"Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat." Erwin said after his eyes ghosted over a line.

The corporal looked down at the page and his eyes skimmed over some words.

"Do you not think this is too far for my level of reading?"

"No." his eyes were confident so he looked back down and began.

"Life is to... B.. Be l-lived..."

His speed was slow and his words were juttered, though the commander said nothing and let him continue, the smaller of the two completing the phrase with a large huff before looking up at the commander to find him smirking.

"What's that look for?" Levi asked, rather defensively.

"That was good. Better than I expected."

"Why'd you make me do one with such a difficult..."

"Difficult what, Levi? Pronunciation?"

The book was shut and set back on the table before he crossed his arms and sat back. They were silent once again, a few noises coming from down the hall from some soldiers arriving back before loud steps reached the door and a large thump came form the other side. This caused Levi to jump, but Erwin simply sipped his water before the door was opened and Hange came in, rubbing their head with Mike and Nanaba behind them, Moblit walking in as well.

Relief spread on the other's faces and the black-haired man was enveloped in a hug by Hange.

"Good god, you're alive!" they said and he grimaced in their arms, trying to push them off. "I was concerned you got killed, but your skills with the anti-gravitational gear are amazing, so I don't know what I was expecting."

Erwin stood and put his books back in the bookcase, allowing Nanaba to steal the seat. Mike sat on the edge of the bed, Moblit sitting on a trunk near them, knuckles drumming on the black case as Hange leaned against the back of the chair Levi sat in.

The group was silent, the room eerie despite the sound of things moving as Erwin continued his organization. Blue eyes watched the man moving, how his shoulder blades stuck from the shirt as he pulled his arms back, the fabric waving on his back. His biceps bulged somewhat from his shirt before his eyes moved up the man's face and noticed his jaw was unnaturally clenched, face stern and eyes dark. The dark haired man realized that organizing his books was a way to distract himself from whatever was on his mind. He then felt a great surge of guilt and felt he was interrupting him from his silence and peaceful time, but the others were in there as well, and the man was saying nothing.

A breathy sigh came from Erwin and he turned around, facing the others.

"We had a lot of casualties today," he said and folded his hands behind his back. "And I do not entirely believe it was a step forward in our understandings of the Blue Dahlia, either. Did any of you find anything?"

"The infection spreads through the bloodstream quickly when a person is bitten," Hange said. "But in other cases, it can take days for the infection to completely spread. When it does, the infected being begins choking because the infection grows from their stomach up into the esophogus, cutting off breathing before a flower pushes it's way from the person's mouth. I saw it grow around a person's neck and insert itself in the back of the neck where a larger stem grew. From this stem, I am debating that this is where a face dancer grows from."

The taste of bile rose in his throat and he prayed that wasn't the infection growing, though there was no way he could have been infected. He actually followed the protocols and only mildly complained when they doused him with the quarantine.

"What does the term face dancer fully mean?" he asked and the other pairs of eyes turned to him.

"Face dancer is a being able to face their outer appearance at will, a shape shifter." Nanaba answered.

"How does this face dancer grow from this stem?"

"Face dancers take the look of the creature the infection had killed and appears again in front of others to convince them that they need help, bringing them close and infecting them as well, spreading the disease." Mike said.

"Exactly how they grow from this stem, I don't know, but in recent discoveries, a second body of a face dancer has been found and been lead back to be the original body, so we believe the face dancer duplicates before going to kill." Hange spoke once more.

"And that's why the rumor that it is a biological weapon has spread," Moblit intervened. "But our evidence has been leading up to that."

"No signs of an accidental spill in the most infected planet-" 

"Where Isabel and Farlan died?" Levi asked and they all gave  asoft nod, besides Erwin.

"But lots and lots of paperwork that showcase the chemicals found in the Blue Dahlia and also has a few written symptoms that the Blue Dahlia has as well."

"But why allow someone to investigate and plan this, continuing to experiment if this kills? And if it's purposefully made, why not in an illegal sector, or station. They all have illegal labs and shit, why do it in such a secure facility with so many guards, people, animals that has easy ties to... The government..." Levi trailed off. "Large distribution. And fast, too."

"I hadn't thought of that." Hange said before grabbing something and writing it down on their hand.  

"Levi," Erwin said. "If you were to attempt to overthrow the government, what would you do?"

"Take out each and every important leader from each sector. Would take time, but it would get the job done. Hire the people I liked and could perhaps stand, too, make sure they make alright decisions."

"You've thought about this before, haven't you?" the blon asked and they stared at each other.

"Not typical kid thoughts, but passes the time." Levi answered and crossed his arms before sitting back.

"That makes much more sense," Hange mumbled and thought a moment. "But how could we try to lead this all back to one person? The creator died, so if he was trying to overthrow the government and run things himself, then there goes that plan..."

"No, no," Erwin said and scratched his chin. "The person that started it wouldn't dare get near to the stuff, would they? No, they'd want to stay back, avoid dying to reach their goal. This scientist must have been hired to create something, and the director overseeing killed his witness and helper."

"Scientists always record things as they experiment for the sake of looking back at their mistakes." Mike said.

"So, our evidence would be in video documented files within the rooms of the station." Erwin said.

"And that would be one step closer to finding who the hell started all of this."

~*~


	4. Chapter 4

"I was thinking, if the person that planned all this knew and wanted the virus to be able to be easily spread, they'd want a cure of some sort, wouldn't they?" Hange spoke up and Levi's eyes turned up to the other after he mixed his macaroni and cheese together in a bowl. "They wouldn't want to be infected, that would be defeating their purpose."

The corporal blinked a few times before taking a bite of his food and nodding. "I'd say if they went through all the trouble to hire people to create this, possibly paying them and paying extra to keep their mouth's shut, then a waste of time to simply get infected directly after the stuff is made."

"Right?" Hange smiled and bit into their toast. "So, a disease was created, next a cure for practical safety."

"And if Mike is right about documentation of sorts from the scientists point of view, then we'll have a trace of both the creation of the disease and the cure of sorts, bu... Wait, wait," he waved his hands a moment, bits of slimy cheese flinging off his fork held withing his fingers. "If this 'director' was so thorough with having this biological weapon created, and this cure, then I'd imagine they'd cover up their steps as to not be found."

Brown eyes shifted around as the other thought, chewing slowly on their toast before they set the bread down.

"Take the paperwork and video documentation... Completely clean out the scientists lab of all paperwork and the hard drives installed in each computer and bot in the room before leaving, getting far away before ordering the scientist to activate it."

"I wouldn't want to stick around for that shit to get me, especially if I had waited so long for it to be finished."

"We'd have to get jurisdiction from the federation for another mission on Malum. Extra soldiers, though," they winced. "That would also mean more money going towards more people from the federation and also a hell of a lot more quarantine."

"Need to talk it over with Erwin, see what he says about it. He is the commander of this ship, and is quite protective of it, too."

~*~

The doors slid open with a large compress of air before he stepped foot inside the room, eyeing the new trinkets ontop of the shelf in the wall above the bed, a rectangular hole in the wall where a few books sat accompanied by little metal bits and small parts of papaer and fabrics with no specific shape, just sitting there, though they must have been important to the commander if he allowed them in his shelf.

The books were hugged by leather covers of different colors, red, blue, green, either standing tall or laying on their sides, one of which slowly sliding down one side after the blond shoved it in there haphazardly when Levi unlocked the door.

"How did you get in here?" his voice was low, yet inviting. 

A shrug came from the other as his eyes moved from one side of the shelf to the other, never taking much time to look at each of the things the commander held in his ownership. "The keypad makes a different note for each number you press. Anyways, 1234 is an easy and stupid code to keep people out."

Lips turned upwards and the slightest hint of white teeth could be seen between his pink lips. 

"What do you say it should be?"

"Your birthday, or something, I dunno, just not 1234."

The commander's bare feet smacked against the hard floor of the room beside his table towards th carpet where it was much warmer and softer for his tired and aching feet in need of a rest.

"What caused you to be so persistent in coming in here?" his fingers wrapped around the spine of the book and he put it in it's proper place.

"Four-eyes is planning on coming in here to ask you about another mission to Malum, I just wanted to warn you before they themselves came barging inside."

One bushy brow arched slightly and blue eyes flicked from the green leather of the cover to the pale face of the corporal beside the door before the commander let out an amused laugh.

"Why would you need to warn me? I've dealt with squad leader Hange's sudden bursts for longer than you have, what suddenly caused you to break into my room and tell me that of all things?"

A pause could be seen in the other man and he crossed his arms before leaning on the wall, trying to act calm even though they both knew he was trying to back pedal as quickly as he could. Levi hated not being able to fully read the other male, not able to fully read his eyes and body language, even if he had improved a small amount since their first mission. The few seconds that he took to gather his thoughts and serve an okay excuse felt like a millenia before he found the voice to speak.

"Because Malum is a harder subject than some of the other planets. That's where you suffered some of the worse amounts of casualties in your division."

"Hm... Levi, are you sure you're not just telling me this because you want to avoid going to Malum because of your friends deaths? If that's so, I could leave you as acting commander and bring the others with me-"

"That's not it, Smith."

"Then what is it then? Something so important you interrupt the time to myself, break into my room, and stutter as you explain. Hm?"

His mouth opened to explain but nothing more than a small squeak of a sound left him as he gave up trying to explain what ran through his mind. His eyes turned downwards and his jaw clenched, fingers gripping his jacket before he moved from the room and left, doors sliding shut behind him.

Erwin was left to simply blink at the space the man had previously taken up before they slowly moved to the door, persistent beeps coming from the other side before he allowed Hange inside.

~*~

Three groups of ten were positioned on each side of the station, checking each and every room for any sign of documentation and evidence, finding varying papers that were all taken back to the shuttles in closed contamination boxes to avoid infection.

These boxes were then put into a closed of lab on the ship after the shuttles ere sent back up, only a handful of casualties being reported, though these names were not known and those on the Messene were waiting anxiously for who was going to actually arrive back to the ship.

All waited on the ship in a gim silence before conversation could be heard coming from the transportation hull, Corporal Ackerman walking down the hall without his helmet on towards his the bridge for the sole purpose of seeing if the commander was still alive.

He nodded to one person that greeted him back, the woman seemingly grateful and relieved he was still alive and well before he entered the elevator, back facing the doors before he quietly spoke to be sent to the bridge of the ship. 

Someone barged inside before Erwin told the elevator to send them to the bridge himself, Levi's eyes fluttering shut before he let out a soft sigh of relief that the other man was indeed alive.

"Did your mission on the west wing go alright, Levi?" he spoke quietly.

"I lost two of my soldiers and heard your wing was hit."

"Three of mine. Only five have died in this mission, it went better than expected. I'll be notifying the federaton and the families of those that have died later. Did you suffer any injuries?"

"Rolled my ankle, that's all. You?"

"Barely missed a face dancer's attack. But I'm in one piece."

The smallest of nods came from the corporal before he looked up to the commander, finding his hands folded in front of him and his eyes watching him before they both moved suddenly, the commander hugging him and Levi hugging back softly.

"I was afraid you had died." he admitted and his fingers held onto a plate on the blond's suit.

"Was that what you were afraid of when you came into my room the other evening?"

He nodded before the commander held his head to his shoulder. 

"I'm alright, Levi. I'm not dead yet."

The white light glared onto them in the elevator, white panels of the elevator causing it to be much brighter, shining off the black panels of their protective suits before they slowly pulled away, their hands still lingering on each other's arms and sides, bluish eyes of Levi's facing downwards as the commander looked down at him, his blond hair now becoming splayed.

"You better not die."

"Not yet."

"No, not yet."

~*~

Silence enveloped the room as he sat within, watching how deeply concentrated both Hange and Moblit were on the task at hand, reading over the sensitive papers, Moblit taken up watching endless amounts of recorded videos to find where the Blue Dahlia started before he suddnely snapped his fingers, grabbing the attention of those in the room.

"Side effects of the Blue Dahlia, he's dying from them."

Hange tured in their chair before rolling over to him, stopping at his shoulder and watching the screen, corporal behind him as well as they watched the man choke on something before the flower exploded from his mouth, snaking upwards before it planted itself in the back of his neck.

Skipping back several videos, they found the scientist working on the stuff, causing an explosive reaction in one video and more accidents before one showed him speaking with someone, just out of the sight of the camera before the man was forced to turn it off. 

"Damn it..." he whispered and skipped forth a few seconds before he stopped it on the man speaking, turning up the volume.

"I won't be able to say his name, or where he's from, but I do know he's dangerous and planning on killing me first." his eyes were turned downwards. "I don't know how I'm going to complete this task, but it will be the most violent and dangerous weapon created in the galaxy by any creature."

It skipped to a sudden shot of creatures in different ethnic clothing barging inside and grabbing things before they took paperwork from him and left him to continue his work. It stopped at static and Levi sat in confusion in his seat, hand holding his hair back from his face.

"You alright, Levi?" Hange asked.

"I was right that they took the original copies of paperwork and the videos, but this man printed more..." he said and his brows furrowed. "He knew what was going to happen to him, he knew he coulndn't speak this man's name because they'd kill him earlier. Willingly worked on it for a year before he was killed because he wanted the director's name to be found."

Automatically, the squad leader was at his side and looking over his shoulder at the static on the screen.

"He released the infection, knowing it'd kill thousands. He kept his promise until the end, but left clues for us to find who threatened him into it."

Black hair swayed as he nodded before he looked at them.

"But there's something up with his eyes that's been bothering me the entire time I've been watching it. More... Around his eyes, on his cheekbones too. this is the best quality video found and it shows his face perfectly."

It was restarted and the other leaned forth, their own brows furrowing.

"I see... Lines in the forms of waves."

"They look like deep scars, and I don't know about you, but I've never seen them on a creature before passing through stations or on an infected person."

"It might be a side effect we don't know about. This will take more research, but a good find, gives us an excuse to continue exploring." they pat his shoulder. "Retire for the night, Levi."

He stood from his chair and left the laboratory, pulling off the ridiculous hazmat suit and the mask before hanging them up. Walking down the hall, he stopped at Erwin's door, pressing the buzzer before he heard him from the other side.

"You already know the code, Levi!"

A small smirk appeared on his lips and he put in the code before entering the room, door sliding shut behind him.

"What can I help you with, Levi?"

"I'm bored, and just got back from the lab."

"Really? How is that going?"

"Too tired to explain. Did you eat?"

"No, I'm busy."

"You need to eat."

"I'm busy."

"Doesn't mean you don't eat."

"Levi-"

"Get up, we're getting food."

"I appreciate your concern, but I have important things to get to."

"The crew rarely sees you eating."

"I witnessed a man get eaten today, I don't think that I'd be able to eat anyways."

He stopped and looked down in his lap.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I should have mentioned that. I'll eat tomorrow if my stomach is agreeing with me."

"I'm imagining you brought up what you ate earlier?"

An 'mhm' came from the taller of the two before his eyes pulled from the screen.

"You?"

"I try to eat what I can but it sometimes comes back up."

"Did you see another person get eaten today?"

"Yeah..." his voice was a whisper. "Just as Farlan did."

"I should have made you stay up here."

"You couldn't have. I would have been too busy annoying Nanaba with how much I ask questions some times."

"Could have spared you the pain of seeing that."

"With the amount of time I've been working under your command, I've seen shit. We've all seen shit, and sometimes, you can't avoid that."

"Several years under my orders, and I still don't know your birthday."

"And I don't know yours, either."

"Maybe I enjoy being a suspicious person."

"To be honest, you're the single most suspicious person I've met."

"Really? Out of everyone, it's me?"

"Yeah, and you're psychotic smile tops it off. And is also probably part of the reason why the federation tries not to speak with you."

"Rude."

"Truthful."

"Still rude. Anyays, they dislike talking to you more."

"Because I pick the truth out from the bottom of their lies. You do too. And despite the fact I'm a thug."

"Too bad they have to deal with you at important meetings."

"I could say the same about you."

The commander breathed out a laugh and his lips turned up into a smile before silence filled the room and the smile died away, simply the two of them silently sitting in their seats before Levi shifted and stood, Erwin standing as well as he organized his workspace.

"Hey, Erwin," he said and Erwin looked up, eyes watching him. "If you still think I blame you for their deaths, I don't."

"You're being truthful?"

"I haven't lied to you in a while, have I?"

"No, you haven't."

"Well, that's because I trust you. I didn't decide to follow you for no reason."

Blue eyes blinked at him in surprise before they softened heavily, the sparkling eyes looking as if they could burst out crying at any moment.

"Thank you, Levi."

He nodded softly, his eyes never leaving the other's.

"I trust you as well and I wouldn't want you to trust anyone more than me."

"Don't get too cliche, blondie."

His lips curved upwards again before Levi tapped the tabletop a moment.

"Eat something at some point." he said and looked to the door. "I have to get going. I'll see you tommorow."

~*~

He ate a bowl of oatmeal quickly that morning in the mess hall, stomach practically roaring at him since he couldn't eat the night before, such as the commander, before he set the tray in the cleaning station and turned, walking from the cafeteria to the elevator to get to his position on the bridge, hoping the blond ate his breakfast.

As he reached the deck, he found Erwin biting into an apple before the commander nodded to him in greeting, Levi nodding back, happy he was eating. He found the man was actually halfway through the apple, bite marks down to the core.

'Good.' he thought and watched his throat as he swallowed.

"Levi, would you mind running this down to Nanaba in the infirmary?" he asked and lifted up a folder. It wasn't until a few moments before he realized Mike wasn't in his seat and a wave of panic washed over him. "And give this to Mike in the infirmary. He only suffered a sprained wrist." He was handed an envelope.

He nodded and reached for the folder, feeling out of place since the man showed no signs of emoton after their conversation the previous night. Fuck it, it probably was nothing more than simple talk to him, so he quieted his thoughts before their fingertips brushed together and he stared at him, finding a hint of sadness within his eyes.

Something happened. Something he wasn't going to let up on.

The corporal took the folder and took a hesitant turn towards the elevator before he took slow steps towards it, his steps silent on his way down the hall from the elevator to the infirmary where Nanaba was working with her blonde bangs kept up with a headband. 

He then moved to the hall of beds to find Mike laying on his bed, eyes shut which caused him to think he was sleeping before he spoke.

"You smell like cleaning supplies."

The envelope was dropped on his face and his eyes opened before he opened it with one hand.

"Do you know what's up with Erwin today?"

"Why do you ask?"

"He seems sad. I know soldiers died yesterday-"

Mike sat up and swung his legs out from under the blankets, looking Levi dead in the eye. "Don't tell anyone that I told you this, but he received information on his father that went missiing when he was just a child. He thought he was getting somewhere, but was told the man died. He keeps denying it and I told him the chance of it being actual info is high, but he still won't listen to me. Erwin's been holding onto the hope that his father is alive since he dissapeared long ago."

His eyes glanced around the infirmary before meeting Mike's again.

"Thanks. Who am I gonna tell anyways?"

"No-one, I just gotta be careful."

~*~

After the bridge was emptied of most soldiers and people from the day shift, the commander reluctantly left his seat to go to the elevator, not noticing Levi as he hurried in behind him until he turned back around and was going to his level to go to bed.

Levi pressed a button on the keypad, causing the elevator to stop before he turned towards Erwin, blocking the way between the door and the other man before his eyes moved upwards. The corporal took in each curve of the man's body and the slight bulge from the muscles in his chest and biceps before they rolled over the sharp angles of his face. His eyes began moving up from his lips to his half lidded blue eyes that were looking down at him before he hugged him, arms wrapped around his neck. He felt his arms wrap around his waist before Erwin pushed his face into his neck. Levi's fingers wove through the undercut of Erwin's, hearing a soft sigh from the other man.

"What's wrong today, Erwin?" he asked softly and felt the commander's fingers grip the back of his uniform jacket before he shook his head.

"Too much." he responded. He sounded tired and weak, leaving a twinge of surprise to go through him. Levi knew the man was human and felt emotions, but sometimes, the strong and capable front of the commander left him to wonder if he did in fact ever show them. This was obviously a private matter, and a side of the blond that he'd probably not want to be spoken about to others.

He had a title to live up to, any sign of weakness would obliterate that and give in to his enemies. Like Levi had said when they first met, stating how bad it was to let his enemies see his weaknesses. He then realized the severity of the words spoken to each other the night before, and the statement given about his trust for him. The man was allowing him to hold and cradle him in the elevator of the ship while he was on the breaking point. That took trust.

And that's what built their relationship.

~*~


	5. Chapter 5

The rarely used bed hugged his frame as he laid down, shutting his eyes with a deep breath. The commander did nothing more than stare at the back of his eyelids, though as he struggled to pull himself into sleep as his mind reeled on the more important matters he should be getting to other than sleeping. 

An occasional rest was always good, and though he knew he needed sleep, he rarely did. His mind was bothered by work and schedules needing to be planned out, so sleep, in his mind, was a luxury. But now, he was more forced to go to bed by the others, his privilege to sit in the commanding chair taken away until the next morning.

He knew they'd have to go to Castra, and go to the main training facility on the surface to look over recruits for the Survey Corps. 

'What a bother.' he thought and exhaled deeply from his nose, rolling onto his side. He had stripped of his shirt earlier and pulled comfortable and easy to move in sweatpants before hand, now nuzzling his face more into the pillow and breathing in deeply, letting his muscles relax slowly amongst the sheets.

It was faster than he thought it'd be, falling asleep, one moment he was staring at his eyelids, the other then watching a scene made within his mind. Though, this scene, it was too realistic. Something was grabbing at him, pulling at him and the scene laid itself out. Fire, brimstone, debris, all raining down on whatever surface they were on, which happened to be the federation deck. Turning the wit the smell of smoke choking him, blue eyes met his own and he stopped, staring down at the patched black hair and blue veins, foam frothing at the man's mouth.

The hands were claws but gripped gently for some reason before growls came from the other, trying to string together words. He didn't want to listen, and he didn't want to be here, and he struggled, wanting to run away. Smoke continued scratching at his throat and he suddenly felt claws on his back, scratching and pulling, causing him to yell out and thrash in pain.

With a thud, he landed on the floor of his room, gasping into the carpet with widened eyes and an accelerating heart rate. His hair clung to his forehead and sweat drenched his body as he shook, trying to stand. The commander heard his door open before footsteps rushed to him, gentle hands taking hold of his shoulder and arm as he was guided into a sitting position.

Eyes moved upwards to find the man from his nightmare in front of him, though his hair wasn't in patches, his veins didn't pulse blue, and no froth was at his mouth. His eyes were slightly wide and his hair was a mess from moving in his sleep, but those were probably the only differences before he raised his arm and motioned towards the door. Erwin then heard multiple pairs of steps leave the doorway, the door then shutting followed by hushed discussions.

"You alright, Erwin?" his voice was calm, if ever so slightly alarmed.

Softly nodding, he looked up at Levi before a stinging pain shot through his wrist. "How'd you get in here so fast, Levi?"

The smaller male stood and fetched his glass of water off the bedside table that had somehow not fallen, though the blond had hit the lamp off on his way down. Handing it to him, he sat back down on the floor in front of him.

"My room is next to yours. I heard you yell. Hell, half the ship probably heard you yell before we heard the crash. The moment I stepped out of my room, half the hall was crowding out to see where it had come from and if you were okay."

Erwin's hand shook softly as he lifted the glass to his lips, muttering a quiet apology before taking a sip, setting it back down inbetween his legs in a slow manner. His eyes were turned downwards and he was also trying to avoid looking at Levi. A hand softly brushed back his hair, a hesitant movement within the touch as his eyes flicked up before he shut them and let the other do as he pleased.

"Your wrist is bleeding." the dark haired man said and gently took hold of it, looking down at it. 

"Just a scrape." he answered and pulled his hand away before fingers gripped it tighter and the hand left his hair.

"As much as you want to escape, you can't. Not yet."

He lifted his head, blue eyes staring at the other man as he spoke. "Did you mean for that to be as intimidating as it came out to be?"

"No. I meant you can't escape my worry just yet. Your wrist is bleeding and I heard you yell help."

Levi stood again, moving to the conjoining bathroom on the other side of the room as the blond sunk back against the bed that he leaned against. He didn't want or need pity in his life, definitely not from someone working beneath him. He was a commander, one of the Survey Corps, he was looked up to in high regard and respected by the highest government officials; showing his weak side wasn't good. And if the entire hall of sleeping quarters heard him yell help as he took a ridiculous fall from his bed, then what good would that do him?

Fingers wrapped around his arm and a slight sting came from his wrist as a cleaning pad was pressed against the scrape. He hissed softly at the pain and winced, trying to retract his arm from the other though it was held in place.

No words were spoken as the smaller of the two cleaned and softly blew on the wound to heal it, which Erwin watched momentarily before they turned away again, towards the fallen lamp. His arm was freed and he pulled it back, finding Levi had put some gauze on it too. 

"Do you want to talk about it, Erwin?" his voice interrupted the silence as he moved the lamp back up in it's original spot on the wooden surface. "I'm not trying to... Force you to do anything."

"No no, I know you're not." he said and held his wrist. "Really, I wouldn't want to bother you."

"We all have nightmares, blondie, don't concern yourself. Anyways, it's nice to talk sometimes to people, also sometimes helps things to get it out, even if I can't help." 

The blond softly smiled, his teeth hidden though as he stood and sat on his bed, the covers being thrown over his legs. A gesture gave Levi permission to sit beside him as he rested his weary head against the headboard.

"Levi?"

"Yeah?''

"Could you- Talk? About anything?''

"Yeah, sure. I had a teddy bear I named Kyushie once and Kyushie always sat on my bed beside me, keeping watch on the room when I was scared."

A smile came to Erwin's face.

"Kyushie?"

"Don't laugh."

"I'm not, simply asking.''

"Quiet." Levi cleared his throat. "Kyushie watched my room and sometimes, I'd hand him to my mother to watch her room too, though really, our house was two rooms and consisted of a mattress and broken stove, but she always loved having Kyushie watch the home."

Erwin's eyes were shut as he listened to the other, wanting to hear more about this teddy bear.

"Kyushie had stitches on his eye, too, and more on his body since I found him on the street and my mom sowed him back up."

"Where did the name Kyushie come from?"

"I don't entirely know. Something about being a misconstruded Japanese word for something."

He gave a little "hmph" before sliding down to lay on his back, curling up slightly. 

"What are we doing tomorrow?"

"Picking up recruits tomorrow and you're doing your dramatic speech."

"I rather like my speech."

A little pause came from Levi before his head was pat.

"Yeah, I know you do."

~*~

The next day, they set out for Castra, nothing being spoken of the commander's outburst the night before by any of the soldiers, and there was no waver in how they greeted him or looked at him either. During the day, this built up the man's pride, just by little bits, but to the point where he felt he could lead the Messene into battle, though he wouldn't do that to her.

Her scarred body had seen many wars, many fights, countless legendary battles. Her outer panels were a dark grey, her shape pointed towards the front and her wings outstretched in a deadly manner. The antennae at the ends of her wings looked like claws, and intimidated those they passed, yet the large ship also held a great deal of beauty when passing others. Messene was old, and worn down, but she got the job done, and even if she was one of the oldest ships in the fleet, the commander couldn't have been happier to lead the old girl.

She was his home, his life, his work for the past several years. The Survey Corps main ship. Messene was a goddess amongst the other ships, as respected by the soldiers as the government officials, probably more than the high priests and councils combined.

Docking on Castra was a difficult feat since the ship was so damn big. They had to bring her down in a vacant field beside the training camps to land her, which was a struggle, but Mike and Nanaba did it nonetheless.

Hange sprung from the boiler room down in the bowels of the ship and ran outside, taking in a deep breath of fresh air before they set their hands on their hips, Moblit behind them with bags of cargo to get to the medical ward in the camps. Nanaba was aiding a heavily pregnant woman down some stairs, calling for Hange to help before they both got the woman down the stairs and into a wheelchair.

Other soldiers were emptying out from the decks and scattering off to given houses situated on the station, close to the close quarters of the trainees but far away enough that they didn't have to deal with them, which was a godsend.

Levi looked around the training camps with a bored expression as he followed Erwin, Mike on his other side before the other squad leader left to speak with someone.

"This is where you trained, isn't it, Erwin?" he asked. He already knew. Everyone did. Erwin Smith was a known name, a legendary one too amongst the new soldiers.

"Mhm hm." he answered, checking his watch. "You trained here as well. Humanity's Strongest."

'Does Levi forget his title?'

"Humanity's Strongest..." Levi's eyes were hazily focused on something at their left before they drifted back to Erwin, noting that he held no bag in his hand or one on his back like most of the others were doing as they scattered off to different barracks. "Oi, where's your bag?"

"I'll get it later." he stopped and clasped his hands together with a deep breath before patting Levi's shoulder. "I'll be at the mess hall for dinner." a smile flashed and he walked away.

"I'll kill you if you're late."

The man was indeed late, last meal at six thirty and Levi decided to leave when it reached eight, wandering back to Messene where he took an admiring look at the craftmanship on her outer armor before going inside to check if the blond actually had indeed gotten his bag of clothes. Though nearing his room, he walked slowly, quieting his steps so he could hear the conversation going on.

"...you said specifically you didn't want love, or a family. You wanted to explore new worlds. Explore the galaxy. Have you realized you can't save the entire universe finally?" It was Mike, speaking harshly to, who Levi guessed, was Erwin.

A deep sigh came from the other man and pacing footsteps stopped.

"I know, I know. I'm still putting my priority of Commander before my feelings, though. We have new recruits to bring in, I'm not letting my time go to waste."

"But are you truly? Are you truly using this time wisely?"

"Why is this suddenly your concern, Mike?"

"Because I've seen similar horrors as you and stayed by your side. Wherever you go, I go, remember that promise?"

"But you don't have to stay with me, Mike! I know your eyes are set on settling down, I've seen how you look to Nanaba, and I don't hold you as a traitor if you decide to retire. You're allowed to have a life, God knows we're getting old and need to find time to settle down."

A surprised noise came from Mike before a soft sigh could be heard, which Levi decided came from Mike again before a silence settled over them both.

"Do you want me to leave, Erwin?" he asked gently.

"I want you to do what makes you happy."

The silence came again as they both thought a moment before Mike spoke again.

"As much as you want to get rid of me, you can't now. I'm in it for the long run."

"Sounds forced."

"Oh, be quiet."

There was some scuffling and a small chuckle from the commander.

"Erwin, I want you to be careful."

"I'm always careful, why are you telling me this now?"

"Because, you can be reckless and stupid, and whatever thoughts are going through your head of yours are probably going to get you killed."

"I was thinking of eating before going to bed."

"Fine... I'm going to bed. You get to bed early, that means before twelve."

"Yes yes, go to Nanaba."

There was more movement and Levi walked forth, going to the door where Mike exited, greeting him and taking a quick sniff before walking away, his nose flaring. He stepped inside, meeting Erwin's eyes and crossed his arms.

No words came from either man until Levi cleared his throat, blue eyes moving up to him before they shut as the commander sighed.

"I forgot, sorry."

"Shit excuse."

"I can make it up to you in some way. I know there are more activities here on Castra than on the ship. You know, volleyball or tetherball. Both are fun to play with the anti-gravity gear-"

A pack of cigarettes hit the surface of the desk and there was a pause before fingers wrapped around the pack, examining the gold letters on the front of them.

"Where'd you get this?"

A shrug came from the smaller male and he leaned on the doorway.

"Does it matter? I got them. They help relieve stress."

The two men sat on high branches in the trees looking over the camps, quietly smoking. Levi watched as the ember of the cigarette inbetween rather large fingers lit up, casting shadows amongst the sharp angles of the commander's face, his eyes focused down at it before he shut his eyes and leaned back, head falling back before he blew smoke slowly from inbetween his lips.

Levi took a slow drag before exhaling the smoke from his nose, looking at a few figures that were sneaking around the camps. He was too tired and much more preoccupied with the man beside him that he didn't bother telling the other, nor making a ruckus about the four that should have definitely been in their barracks.

He looked back to Erwin, finding his eyes still shut though he took another drag of the cigarette, eyes slowly opening as he exhaled, evidently feeling his dull blue eyes on his body. With an amused look, his head was raised, his usual cemented down hair now drifting to the side of his face.

"What's that look for?" the smaller male asked.

"Nothing, nothing, just thinking." he said and put out the cigarette, standing on the branch. "Would you like me to make up being late to dinner?"

"Why bother?" he shrugged and took another drag off his smoke. "Mess hall is closed, and Messene is taking a rest."

"Ah, right. Well, another time. And I promise I won't be late next time."

"I hope not."

Erwin's lips turned upwards into a grin before he stretched, elbows and shoulders popping before he dropped them with a sigh.

"What time do you have, Levi?'' he asked and checked his watch.

Levi checked his own watch and squinted down at the screen, using the small amount of light to see it.

"Eleven thirteen." he said through his teeth, his cigarette resting between his lips before some ash fell on his wrist and he hissed softly at it before pulling it from his lips. He put it out and looked up at Erwin. "What time do we have to meet with the rookies?"

"Tomorrow evening. We also have a corporate meeting in the main hall." 

A groan came from Levi and he clicked buttons on his gear and flew off the branch towards his bunk, hair flying back. Wind billowed through his hair and he took in a deep breath of the pine before he landed on the dirt ground, turning his gear off. The blond landed beside him and was wincing, pulling at a strap on his waist as they walked with each other in silence.

Pulling off his gear, Levi stood in the center of the wooden bunker, hanging up the harness on a hook as he watched the commander adjust something so he was comfortable. He seemed to be struggling with turning something, so he walked forth and stood in front of him, fingers gently wrapping around the harness fabric, pulling and twisting at things in silence.

It was quiet, and they were close together, the corporal able to practically feel the piercing blue eyes on him. As fingers pulled on the harness to help, his mind went elsewhere, to the halls of the Messene when he searched for the commander not too long ago.

'...you said specifically you didn't want love, or a family.'

His brow raised as his eyes were trained down at the other's waist.

'What was that about?' he wondered, still struggling to turn something. 'Has his stone heart softened?'

With a few more tugs, the harness was no longer wrapped around itself and Erwin gave a little hum at the now comfortable position the harness took wrapped around his waist. Black hair softly wavered as the corporal lifted his head, the commanders sharp face closer than he expected. The blue eyes danced across his own face, stopping occasionally to take things in, brushing up to his hair before pulling back down. During this process, he slowly brought his face closer to the corporal's and the raven haired man's fingers involuntarily gripped tighter at the harness on the other's body.

Eyes bore into each other before Erwin moved, an attempt to press their lips together and the smaller one looked downwards, feeling the commander's lips press softly to the side of his head before moving across the side to his ear where a sigh was let out. 

The commander stood straight, assuming the proper position and breathing in deeply through his nose as slender fingers unwrapped from the harness and retracted back to his own body, falling aimlessly to his sides.

Walking to the door, Erwin rubbed his eyes, hands sliding down past his nose and cheeks where they dropped off at his jaw before he stopped and turned, looking to the floorboards in front of the corporal's feet.

"I'm sorry. I've been acting stupid lately." he said and raised his hand, raking his fingers through his hair. The man looked stressed out and tired, eyes slightly sunken and hair a mess. Now, any eye would be able to see the notable sunken cheeks as well and pull on his eyes, though a mask of confidence covered it.

Levi walked forth, boots clacking on the hardwood floors before he took hold of the collar of the man's federal jacket and pulled him down. His lips were softer than he thought they'd be, and were rather warm as well. 

As he pulled away, the man was pulled back by his collar and kissed again, a little harder this time and a bit more in need. But not sexually, just as if the commander heavily needed the feeling of a kiss; a touch of another person.

They both slowly pulled away, fingers lingering on Levi's hip before the commander hesitantly pulled away fully, the corporal's fingers wanting to reach out though they stayed glued to his side.

"I... I guess I need to go to bed." the blond said and reached for the door, pulling it open and stepping down the few steps. 

"Hey!" Levi's voice cut through the night loudly in the camps and Erwin turned, looking up at him. He set his hands on either side of the door way and looked at the commander, a shining look in his eyes which were quite beautiful. "You owe me dinner."

A soft smile appeared on the commander's face and it shined alongside the blue eyes before he gave a little salute with his fingers.

"I promise."

~*~


	6. Chapter 6

A shift of his shoulders allowed the jacket to slip on in the dull silence of his bedroom. He had decided to stay in Messenes room aboard the ship; sleeping in a barrack's room would be too unnatural to him. Anyways, he'd rather not be so close to the rookies, either, even though his orders practically forced his crew to be. The commander was glad to avoid the younger soldiers for a time being until he pulled them aboard Messene, oddly protective about her. Checking the time, he saw it was near the appointed schedule for him to deliver his speech to the new graduating class of the military.

Messene's wall was cold as he pressed his palm against it, shutting his eyes momentarily. God protect the poor girl as she had to bring in and house more imbeciles. Pulling his hand away, he looked up and zipped his federal jacket up, walking out with his hands clasped behind his back.

Once his boot hit the ground, his arms were at his sides loosely and he followed the path to the auditorium, seeing a few more soldiers trickle out of the barracks, a few giving salutes before they hurried to their destination. He smiled, charmed by the small actions taken by these young soldiers. Damn, that made him sound old...

With a shake of his head, he walked to where the other militant branch commanders were standing, shaking hands and making small talk before noticing Levi on the sidelines with Hange. Patting an old friend on the shoulder, he excused himself and went to the other two, smiling at Levi and recieving a nod in return before he spoke quickly with Hange until a familiar voice interrupted from behind him. Noticing the captain's narrowed eyes, he turned and smiled softly.

"Nile, how good to see you."

With a nod and a handshake, Nile greeted him in return. A few people stepped away once Nile turned to Levi to greet him.

"Levi..."

"Nile... How good to see you. Is that a new goatee look? Looks good, last one made you look like a retired child molestor."

"Watch your mouth, th-"

Erwin set his hand on Nile's shoulder, pulling him away from the destroyed conversation behind them before the evening got to a start. There were less soldiers than the commander had been expection when he stood on the stage in front of everyone before he  began with his speech, even less soldiers staying behind for joining. 

'Not surprised, I do usually scare them away.'

A few more words, a genuine salute, Mike's eyes boring into him from the sidelines before he finished.

"Each of you have my respect."

~*~

The thin fabric of the jacket was dropped onto the chair and he fell forwards onto his bed, face stuffed into the pillow. God, his back ached and so did his feet, why must everything creak and hurt so? His body was aging and so was his patience.

It was still a wonder to him how Levi managed to still twist and turn so well with his gear, with his aging joints and malnourished body from lack of sunlight when he was younger. Though he supposed, he was just one tough man.

He would have rather not let the corporal off for saying such a thing to Nile, though he knew Levi would try interrogating him about it before groaning about his explanation. On that note, where was the smaller man?Erwin raised his head and stood again, pulling his boots on with haste and throwing his jacket back on to leave. His exploration took him all around the barracks before he noticed something up in a tree, squinting at it before he realized it was in the shape of a human.

Walking to the tree, he looked up at the other and crossed his arms.

"What are you doing up there?" he asked

"The view is nice." Levi answered. "I couldn't be bothered to move, either." The corporal came flying down and landed in front of him before they met eyes. "Done with your dramatic speech?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. They're going on Messene tomorrow, aren't they?"

Erwin nodded, the two walking by each other's sides as they wandered around.

"Need to put them somewhere before we establish soldiers on different planets and stations. I need to also start a strategy to deal with station Rose."

"Do you ever stop thinking about work?"

"Hm... I guess not. On another note, do you have any filter when it comes to talking to people?"

"You don't even understand half the energy I have to put into not making remarks all the time."

~*~

Meetings, more work, no down time, but an eventual answer to the question the commander had been asking for the past year. He'd been needing authorization to go to sector Rose and start another mission, hopefully one where they'd be able to get a better understanding of the creatures there and the virus. Also one to Malum to see if they could find more video documentation.

The video documents they had gotten and the papers as well had been brought on their ship and were being heavily examined and looked over for evidence of another, unknown person coming and going throughout the duration while the main scientist concocted the formula for the virus.

Only other scientists, those killed by the virus when it was first let out. 

He wasn't exactly happy to hear a 'yes' from the federal desk, but it furthered their knowledge about the Blue Dahlia and would also aid in helping them find the cure. A few tests were in the works, but not enough to entirely help find the basis of the Blue Dahlia and find the long needed cure.

They'd be dispatching their newest soldiers there as well for the mission, on both sector Rose and on Malum for investigations. After he finished a quick chat with a higher up, he stood and went to the closed off laboratory, watching several dispatched workers look over the evidence for what had to be the thousandth time since they had them under their possesion.

"I hope they said that we have the all clear to go back and get more evidence for this." Hange said behind him and crossed their arms. "Day in and day out we've been looking at this stuff just to find nothing. The parts where the director must have come in are wiped clean and the papers are useless to us, too. We're at a dead end."

"Yes, we got the all clear," he answered and his brows furrowed. "I though we'd at least have something more than static where the director comes in."

"There's a few faces, but the scientist panics each time anyone comes in. He was on all sorts of stuff to keep his nerves down, and even those rarely worked, either. We've been looking closer on anyone who has come in, looked over their files, most of them died when the first hit of the virus came."

"Most?"

"All, I meant all. I began telling them to look at any reflection they can in anything when someone enters, especially just before static, but we can't find anything. Also the cameras installed in the laboratory he was working in were much older and terrible to enhance. These files need to go through a lot more research because when we try to enhance, we just get pixels."

"We have one of the best compuer moduels in the galaxy. When donations are given, most goes to the Survey Corps, you know that."

"I know, but, whoever or whatever, when they went through these files, they took extra care to make sure a specific face was not seen."

"Well, no wonder. When you need to pull off a grand plan like this, you need to stay hidden until your time comes where you show your face and get recognized for your actions. Look closer, keep shifting through evidence, we'll get another expedition on Malum and see what else we can find to hopefully bring us closer to what we need. If there is a cure, as you said, then there might as well be files or something on them stashed away somewhere, and if that means we have to rip apart the laboratory, then that's what we have to do."

~*~

The date was set and the soldiers counted down until the time, pulling on their suits with the aid of friends before getting on different small shuttles. With different tools, walls were pulled apart and so were flooring and ceilings, some soldiers climbing through vents to try and find a sign of a stash of papers and video documents.

Squad leader Hange Zoë was keeping an eye over one group, captain Levi Ackerman watching another, both giving orders and yells. They had to look over each paper given to them, the captain more often than most handing it to the usual acting commander to look at it.

An hour or so passed, the two squad leaders updating the commander and pilots on the soldier's finds.

"Yeah, a pile of documents found in vents, though we're looking at them as a suction from the backfire of the oxygen pumped through," Hange said. "Haven't found much more yet. Any safe's we find have money in there or personal belongings that cost a lot-"

"Squad leaders! I found something."

Levi held his hand out and the rookie set the papers in his gloved hand. His eyes scanned over them and a crate of video documents were set by his foot. His brows furrowed.

"What's that scientists name?" he asked

"Bandura."

A folder with the name 'Bandura' was shown and there were several papers with names written on them, all reading 'Bandura' in the top right hand corner, the crate also reading that name on one side.

"I think this is it."

~*~

Soldiers were celebrating the discovery of so much evidence upon the ship, whoops and howls sounding from each corner of Messene as it marked a large milestone in the Corps history. Their suits were back in their places, their weapons as well. The crates of papers and videos were being moved to the laboratory, and the pilots retired for the night to celebrate with Hange.

The rooms were holding their occupants, and the cafeteria held some soldiers, most just sneaking alcohol to their barracks, all trying to avoid the corporal in fear they'd get in trouble. But he was far from the barracks, still in the transportation hull trying to remove his suit. He had gotten his helmet off, but needed aid in getting the plates and clips undone from his body. This was usually done in a buddy system, but since Hange had fucked off to god know's where, he was stuck. 

Until the commander snuck up behind him and began helping.

"Humanities Strongest can't even take his own suit off, tsk tsk." he teased.

"And the revered commander can't even take his suit off either, so shut up."

Erwin chuckled, eyes looking down at the suit as he tugged. "I'm only teasing, darling." he said and looked at him, moving so their faces were closer as he pat his arms to move them up.

"And I am as well, now get me out of this, blondie."

The commander moved plates off before helping him from the upper body portion of the suit, showing a bare chested corporal.

"Was this mission alright?" the blond asked, hands lingering on the pant line of the metal plates. "I mean.. About your friends..."

"That was a while ago, Erwin, and though I won't forget about them, I also won't let the guilt and sadness take over me. I was on a mission. I got it done."

He pulled up the lower half of the suit and pulled on his pants, searching for his shirt before a different fabric was draped over his shoulders, dark blue shining at him. The Wings of Freedom crest shined as well and he zipped the jacket up after slipping his arms through the armholes. It was a bit big on him, though comfortable.

"Jeez, Erwin, you're practically naked without your jacket on you."

A white shirt beamed off his chest and shoulders, holding his waist nicely too. It was tight around his shoulders and chest, but that was a godsend, a bolo tie staring Levi in the face where his brow raised.

"And a bolo tie?"

"I like it. It's also a tradition for commander's to where them, just usually they're hidden beneath jackets and gears." his fingers fiddled with the gem in the middle. 

Levi walked to the elevator on the far side, the commander not too far behind him as he did so before he stood in the elevator with his hands folded together in front of him, the commander telling the elevator which floor to go to.

"Do you have to pay for a bolo tie?" he asked, his attempt at conversation.

"No, it's a commemorative present for becoming a commander."

He nodded and the two left the elevator, talking quietly though the other rooms were filled with conversation and laughter at times. The only silence came from the commander's room, where Levi greeted it with pleasure and sat down in one of the chairs beside the large window looking out into the galaxy. It was such an amazing view from there, looking out at the millions of stars, it was sometimes unreal to the smaller man when at times he looked out while the commander spoke.

"Levi,"

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to need to have my jacket back at some point."

"Why?"

"Because it's my uniform jacket." the commander said and poked Levi's nose before unzipping the jacket.

"Don't you have more?"

"Levi..."

"No, this is mine now." he retaliated and closed the jacket back up.

A hand was set on either one of his shoulders and the commander leaned down to kiss his cheek softly. 

"Please, darling."

He said nothing, simply looked to the conjoining bathroom to ignore him before Erwin kissed his jaw and ear, trying to move to his lips before the captain looked away.

"Oh, you stubborn little man."

A smile, one that could truly only be deciphered as a thug's showed and the commander yet again attempted to get his rightful kiss and jacket back, a game that lasted for half an hour before the blond gave in and sighed.

"Do you want to keep it, Levi?"

"No, it smells."

He gave up and dropped his head, it landing on the smaller man's shoulder as he let out a groan of genuine frustration. Feeling a kiss against his head, Levi spoke. "I'm just playing." 

The jacket was unzipped and given back to it's rightful owner before the taller of the two walked to his closet. He was in there a while, making some noise and looking for something specific until he tossed something at Levi's head. The small man caught it and looked over it, finding it was a tee shirt, laying it out across the table to get a better look at it.

It was a large, loose looking shirt made from thin fabric that seemed cool when it was hot, a grey color. Seemed pretty damn comfortable and Levi pulled that on before the commander exited his closet and sat down in front of the other.

"Where'd you get this, Erwin?"

"It was a shirt that lasted from my first days at the academy until now."

"Oh..." 

'Well I better take good care of this, then.' Levi thought and his eyes followed Erwin as he stood and went to a closed case. He craned his neck to try and see what he was holding and watched as he brought a bottle of whiskey and set it down.

"A few sips?"

"Only a few."

And they kept that promise, both only taking one drink before their tastebuds regretted it and Erwin put it back immediately, the difference in the air and the pull changing how their tastebuds reacted to the alcohol.  
They sat and talked, this time over water before it turned to quick jokes and the blond laughing at nearly everything Levi said from then on.

But it was just loose, happy conversation that neither of them had had with really anyone in quite a while. It was nice, it made them feel relaxed, made them happier and made them closer. In a pause of silence, Levi intertwined his fingers with Erwin's and in response, his hand was lifted to plump fingers where they received a kiss.

The other man was so cliche but really, he wouldn't change him.

"How do you uh... Feel about the evidence found today?" he asked softly and the blond set his glass down before standing, moving to in front of Levi.

"No, no more conversation about work." he answered.

"Really? Why not?"

The blond leaned down and kissed him softly. "Because I said so." the black haired man was picked up before he was tossed onto the bed, Erwin making sure the door leading into his room was locked.

~*~


	7. Chapter 7

Eyes slowly opened, looking at the clock on the nightstand beside the bed. He blinked at it softly before his eyes moved around to figure out where the hell he was before he felt a mass of warmth behind him shift to lay closer. An arm draped over his waist and a stubbly cheek nuzzled his neck, legs shuffling towards his own to get closer.

He looked down at the hand now laying beside his own and he intertwined their fingers softly, then hearing a grumble from the man behind him. Levi lifted his head and looked to the other, seeing tired blue eyes trying to look around, though his eyelids pulled to close, body aching for more sleep.

"Good morning, Levi." he muttered quietly, still trying to wake up before he gave up and laid his cheek on Levi's shoulder.

"Morning, Erwin. You look like shit."

"Thanks, you do too." he grumbled and a small grin came to Levi's face. "What time is it?"

"Nine thirty."

The commander was up like a light and ran to the bathroom, the corporal slowly sitting up, the sheet laying over his lap as he leaned back on his hands. He stood, pulling his clothes on and rubbing his face to feel for unwanted stubble. As he pulled on his boots, Erwin walked from the bathroom, clothes pressed, hair gelled back, face untouched of facial hair and the bags under his eyes were gone.

A stunned silence came from the captain as he stared at the blond, watching him as he organized a few papers and found his bolo before leaning over and kissing his cheek, hand on his shoulder.

"Feel free to use my bathroom to shave." he said and walked from the bedroom, greeting a soldier as he left the room before the doors shut behind him.

~*~

"We need to assign a mission to sector Rose, commander. The face dancers have been trying to get to sector Sina through the bridges and the bridge doors aren't holding very well any longer." Moblit informed Erwin and the commander nodded.

"We will. First, attack the face dancers in sector Rose, then sector Maria."

"With all we have."

"Sir, this sounds like a suicide mission."

"Don't we need face dancers to study?" he asked and looked at the other.

"Yes, but we need a larger plan."

"The plan is to try and extinguish the face dancers and other creatures in the sectors infected with the Blue Dahlia. Capture two face dancers for the sake of investigations."

"What will we do with them?"

"Bring them to a laboratory."

"Eh... Yes sir."

"Gather the troops, deploy them down in Rose. We attack from all sides, though keep some up here, enough to do shifts in the laboratory to look at the gathered information."

"Yes sir."

~*~

The mission was a mess from start to finish. Face dancers knew where each shuttle would be landing and ripped off the top of the hulls to try and get to the soldiers within. At least half of the soldiers in the shuttles were able to escape and run while the others fought from inside.

The commander ran across rooftops in search of his right hand men, also looking to see where his soldiers were after the landing of shuttles, knowing they were probably spread around aimlessly. INstead, he found his soldiers in their positions, though in a lower count.

No clue as to how many lived from the landings. He shot up from the rooftop onto a bell tower as a face dancer brought it's fist down where he had stood. Relatively safe on the tower, he pressed a button the arm of his suit, a screen showing on it before he typed a code in. Soon, Mike's face flickered on screen.

"Commander,"

"I need you to deploy new shuttles down here."

"What happened to the original ones?"

"Face dancers completely destroyed them. Most of the soldiers got out alive and are in their positions, but a death count I feel will be high."

"Yes, commander. I'll have shuttles deployed to you soon."

A large explosion sounded from the East and he turned his head before signing off. Looking down from the bell tower, he saw face dancers littering the ground below, and some climbing, though it seemed they were in fact making a ladder from themselves to reach him. Erwin looked upwards and climbed higher, deciding to conserve the anti gravity gear for another time.

Balancing on the top, he looked back to where he heard the loud explosion, and saw nothing but face dancers, though one seemed acted strangely before it slammed it's fist into another face dancer. His brow raised. A face dancer fighting another face dancer?

He thought to perhaps send soldiers to try and capture that one, but that was a secured deathwish with how this one fought. Though an idea sparked to keep an eye on that one. First, he needed to get to higher ground, not just on the bell tower, since the face dancers were so dedicated to reaching him where he stood. They were now just a few feet below him, and he pulled his gun from its harness on his suit, shooting it in the face which caused several more to topple down and gave him a minute or so to completely understand his surroundings.

Bell tower here, more buildings scattered around him, none with very high rooftops to stay on. This was a matter to keep moving, and hope your muscles don't give out before the face dancers get you. In the sky, more shuttles were flying down, several soldiers dropping down from them and landing on rooftops, Mike landing directly beside him.

"Anything more happen?" he asked.

"Did you hear the explosion on the other line?"

"Yeah, what was it?"

"I don't know, but there's that face dancer-" he pointed to one that was in the middle of fighting more off. "-and he's acting oddly."

"A face dancer fighting others... No, that isn't normal. Unless perhaps another face dancer intervened with it's mission of some sort."

"I had the same idea. Better keep a close eye on that one for Hange."

Mike nodded and sniffed, looking down to the face dancers now currently trying to climb again, a hand coming at Erwin's ankle though he kicked it away.

"They're nothing but dedicated." the commander said and both he and his colleague hopped off the bell tower, switching on their gear just before they hit the ground.

~*~

Back on the ship, Captain Levi Ackerman stalked the halls, or so it looked from any soldiers point of view when they made their way back to their rooms from the transportation hull. Really, he was trying not to let the limp in his step show, and was trying to slow himself down from running into Erwin's room. That would make him look ridiculous, and he also didn't want to barge into the commander's room if he was having an important meeting with someone, like a rookie.

Well, then blondie would have to suffer if he was.

The dark haired man gave in and rushed to his room, putting in the four digit code to find Erwin just then about to check his computer for something. His sleeves were rolled up and his glasses sat on the end of his nose, a surprised look on his face before he opened his arms, the smaller male running and hugging him.

It was warm and Levi was enveloped in him, pushing his face farther into his shoulder as he felt the blond try and push his own face into his hair. A deep hum rumbled from the blond in content and he took his chance to slip his hands under Erwin's shirt where he massaged his back softly.

They pulled away reluctantly and the commander softly held him closer. 

"I heard a big ass explosion and have yet to know where it came from." Levi said.

"Ah, so you did hear it. I was close it it when it happened, but I don't know what caused it. Though I did see an odd face dancer."

"You did?"

He nodded and pushed some of Levi's hair back from his face. "It was fighting the others-"

"ERWIN!" Hange yelled and ran in, the two men pulling back from each other quickly as Levi winced at the yelling.

"Yes, Hange?"

"You won't believe this!"

"What?"

"Guess!"

"I really don't know."

"You have to guess?"

"Something new?"

"Exactly! A kid that can transform into a face dancer! Or the technical term for this kind, titans."

His jaw dropped slightly. "Transform?"

A nod came from them and excitement riddled their face. "He's being compliant currently in the cell housing. MP have taken a hold of him and are currently holding him on Carandiru, I'm guessing in closed down solitary confinement."

"Then I suppose we need to get there as soon as possible."

~*~

Carandiru looked even worse since they'd been there last, and Levi sent a loathing glare back at a guard as they passed each other, going into the solitary confinement quarters. This was more of the basement area of Carandiru that was no longer used for storage, and instead used for a dungeon. It was grimy, dark, damp, and overall horrid to be in.

Levi then found another reason to be pleased that he joined the Survey Corps instead of being stubborn.

"Eren Yeager..." the commander said quietly and there was a small noise from the man in the cell. To say man was odd, this was merely a boy in there, no older than fifteen. How could he hold so much power?

Though before this meeting could continue, MP showed up, saying it was off limits for the Survey Corps to interview the boy. Though, Erwin had another plan. Talking his way into letting them speak with the boy, Levi sunk back from them, realizing they were all much more intersted in the commander than the corporal beside him, which some of the new recruits with the MP seemed to not recognize.

'Perfect.'

He slipped back from them, letting the blond work his magic, and went back to the boy in the cell, making sure he still was not seen.

"Alright, kid, how long have you known you had these powers?"

"Only since I snapped out of being a titan, sir."

"Do you wanna stay in this jail cell?"

"No, sir."

"That's what I thought. MP will have you a while longer before we find a way to get you out of here. Try not to get yourself killed."

"Levi?" Erwin asked from the other side of the hall and the corporal seemed to easily disappear again, then back at the commander's side.

"I'm down here." he answered and the commander nodded before they were pushed away from talking to the boy.

"Eren will be presented to the court tomorrow to figure out where he will be taken. Hopefully we can spin a web and get him in the Survey Corps." the commander said as they reached the shuttle to go back to Messene. 

"You're seeing him as what exactly?"

"An asset. A weapon. Someone that will be able to push our investigations forward. We have documentation and we have this titan boy. This is a step forward for us. For humanity and the creatures that live in the galaxy."

Levi looked up at Erwin, seeing a glimmer in his eyes and a soft look on his face. 

He really didn't regret following this man.

~*~

Back on Castra, the corporal and commander sat with their food, quietly eating with nothing but a moon by the name of Fengári illuminating their place. It was bright and the air was clean. There was no noise despite the scraping of forks against plates, or an occasional sip of their drinks.

Rain was coming down outside of the barrack, where Levi raised his head and stopped, eyes watching it.

"A fake ecosystem in a station." Erwin said, the corporal finding the other had began watching it as well, and also found a bit of food on his lip.

"You have a thing, here." he said and motioned, blue eyes looking over before he lifted a napkin to wipe it away.

"Is it gone?" 

"No... Here." the dark haired man reached forth and wiped away the crumbs from his lip. "There."

"Thank you."

A silence came back between them and Levi finished eating before attempting at conversation.

"What do you think about the new cadets?"

"What do I think about them?"

A nod came from him and Erwin placed his napkin back down before folding his hands. "I think they're each very strong in their capabilites. Really, each of them have their flaws, Yeager and his anger, Ackerman girl and her over protectiveness, Arlert and his slight fear. But also, Yeager is dedicated, Ackerman strong, Arlert smart. He's bright. We'll just have to wait and see what they bring to us."

~*~

In the moonlight, Levi read with Erwin sleeping beside him soundly. They'd gone to bed only a few hours before the break of dawn, but the corporal decided to try and read more, to help his skill level. He was pushing it with the size of this book, but it didn't matter. He'd be proud of himself once he finally finished it.

It wasn't until the commander began twitching in his sleep beside him did the smaller male pull his eyes from the pages. The blond was also muttering things in his sleep, and Levi crossed it off as Erwin being a night talker, but then he started making odd noises and his twitching became more frequent. 

Soft fingers took hold of the commander's shoulder, gently shaking him to wake him up, and he was successful in having the man's twitching stop, but didn't know how long it would last for and was still concerned about what he might be dreaming about. Instead, he set his book on the nightstand and shuffled to get comfortable under the covers, curling up to the muscled back of the other.

He drifted off for half an hour before a jump in the bed caused him to open his eyes and he found Erwin panting, staring at the far wall. His back was as straight as a board and his fists were clenching the bedsheets tightly in what could be described as fear. There weren't any other words to describe it as. Whatever the commander had seen also scared Levi and he sat up, his touch soft as he brushed some blond strands from the man's face.

"Erwin? Did you have a nightmare?"

A hesitant and slow nod came from the other before he swallowed thickly, shutting his eyes. Levi still softly brushed the hair that stuck to his forehead away and tucked some behind his ear, trying to calm him. He slowly brought his breathing to a normal pace and Erwin's fingers loosened from their grip on the blankets.

Pulling him to lay back down, he pulled the blankets with him. Blond hair was splayed across the pillow and Levi pulled the sheets up to his shoulder before laying down himself. It wasn't long before the commander cuddled closer, arms around Levi's waist and his face in his chest, trying to pull himself back to sleep before their next expedition.

From outside, white eyes watched in interest and a white smile flashed from within the darkness before a pair of opera glasses were lowered. 

"Who knew the commander of the Survey Corps had so many weak points?" they asked and looked over their shoulder, pushing white hair to the side. "His friends, his nightmares, and his secret love, hm?" 

~*~


	8. Chapter 8

Once he stepped into the club, music bombarded his ears, strobe lights hitting him from each direction, sweeping across the crowds as well, black lights adding onto it. His eyes followed the light that swept across the dancefloor, following it to find the one man he was sent out to find that night. In the corner, he found three people drinking in the back. He pushed and slipped through the crowd towards the group and sat down next to the brown haired one, their glasses reflecting the lights around.

"Ah, we should go get more drinks, Mike!" they yelled over the music and the tallest one nodded and stood, the other following, leaving Erwin and the corporal alone in the booth.

His eyes moved from watching the other squad leaders to the commander in front of him, fingers wrapped around the neck of his beer before he raised it to his lips and took a swig, blue eyes directed to the opposite corner of the club before the pressing of Levi's foot against his own pulled him from his gaze.

"What're you lookin' at over there?" he asked, yelling loudly so the other could hear him.

"A rather interesting person." the other answered and set his beer down. 

"You mean the creatures with horns, tentacles for fingers and even giant lizards aren't capturing your attention?"

A huff of a laugh left the other. "I see those regularly, Levi. This one is human."

Black hair swayed as he turned his head, setting his arm on the back of the seat, looking across to the other corner of the club. His brow raised and he looked back to Erwin.

"I see nothing out of the ordinary over there."

The blond's brows were furrowed. "No, he moved away. But he looked to have a great deal of interest in us both sitting here."

"Well, when is the leader of the Survey Corps taking a break and resting with his mates?" 

"You have a point there..."

A rare break for the commander, and an amazing answer to an impossible feat; to get the blond to actually take up the offer of going out to a bar while stopping at a station. The music suddenly changed from an upbeat song to a fast paced synthesizer song.

"He's back." Erwin said as Hange and Mike sat down, their eyes both trained behind Levi and he turned back around again.

Marching down the stairs was a man clad in a white suit, swinging a white cane around with long white hair flowing. His coat swayed and he danced off beat to the music as his feet took him down the stairs, though he brought all heads to him.

In his swaying movements and ridiculous steps, he along the way brought himself to the table where the commander sat, sitting right down beside him in the booth, squashing him against his friend. The other three stared in slight amusement at the blond man now shrinking back, though Mike offered no help to his colleague.

"What a present to have the commander here!" the man said and the commander looked over him, seeing technical implants spreading from the back of his ears to the corners of his mouth in points.

"Since you know me, who are you exactly?" 

"I run this nightclub. It's quite a busy place, quite good money as well!" he announced and he crossed his leg over his knee, back straightening. "And I heard of all your important discoveries, all across the news and the talk through the soldiers when they come through here, amazing, honestly. I think that deserves a drink, don't you?" he asked and motioned, at least a dozen employees swarming the table with trays of drinks.

"If you're trying to get to something, spit it out and tell me."

The overly energetic, and rather pale man's face fell and he waved the employees off. "I heard from a little birdie that they a knew a someone involved with the making of the Blue Dahlia."

"Knew someone? Well, this is big news."

"Yes, isn't it? Though, I'm afraid telling you will come to a price."

A knife was at his throat in a matter of seconds and Levi was sitting on the edge of the table, the commander now giving a soft smile.

"Please, just tell us everything you know so we don't have to get the rest of the military involved."

Big eyes moved from Levi, back to the surface of the table, his smile now becoming much more forced. "Alright, alright, you only had to ask nicely..." he said and Levi shifted away, sitting back in his spot as the other three slipped their guns back into their hidden harnesses. "It was about a month ago, I believe, when you first found a batch of paperwork on Malum, or wherever it was. An older gentleman came in in a worn out jacket and hat. My first thought was that he was homeless, poor, needing a warm place to stay, but my second thought was 'why the hell would he come into a club?'. And in my interest, I started up a conversation with him at the bar where he drank, drinking only a small amount of whiskey. He smelled heavily of tobacco, which fueled my interest as to why he spent his money on the most expensive whiskey we provided."

"Are you ever going to get to the end of it?" Levi asked and the man waved him off.

"He was suspicious and odd from the start, and that's a lot coming from me, but as I continued speaking with him, I realized how educated he was about things. He knew more about the past of the great ship Messene more than you do yourself, Commander. His educational standpoint was brilliant and he had obviously went to university or at least the federational classes for his knowledge. But then he started bringing up odd and interesting topics, things about the station Malum and the Blue Dahlia. Now, you know speaking about it has somehow become forbidden if you're not a soldier, or scientist. It's simply not allowed now for some reason. But he said his words with such courage and knowledge that had become scared. He knew information that no one else did. Not even the bowels of the deep web held the information he told."

"How do you know he wasn't lying?"

"A burn scar on the palm of his hand, right palm. I saw it was pressing up against the glass. It was obviously there for a while, where I'd say healed for... Eh... Five, ten years since the Blue Dahlia first popped up? An educated man with a history on the past two hundred years, knowing every piece of evidence down to the smallest of symptoms of illnesses that has killed in the past. He was brought on to the team that created the Blue Dahlia for a goddamn good reason, that's for sure."

"So you're saying he has had direct contact with the person that started all of this, the face dancers, the Blue Dahlia? He knows the mastermind behind this?" Hange asked

"I'm guessing so, since he left a note with a name for me saying it was all the Survey Corps would need to know, and would be able to track it down easily. And I must say, his drawing skills are absolutely astounding! He drew the face of the man you all have been so drastically searching for."

"We need the note, and his name. Give us facial features." The commander said. "This'll help the galaxy."

"Oh, if only I could simply give that to you. No, I do have a price for the things I say, lovelies."

"Don't make me have to set the captain on you again."

"Well, good thing I have guards with guns positioned all around here if your little darling does decide to impale me with a knife," he said and a little grin spread across his face, corners of his lips meeting the mechanical implants. "It'd be such a shame if the rest of the military branches and every creature in the galaxy knew you and the corporal were shagging in your free time and sharing heated kisses beneath the shine of the moon. How romantic you are, commander."

Brown eyes widened and turned to the man beside them, seeing no change in the dark haired man's features. Hange was utterly surprised.

"Now it's not nice to spy on people." Erwin said.

"And it's also not nice to let your lover stab a person. Let me give an offer and we'll make a deal so no more information will be spilled about you and the captain." the man said and folded his hands over his cane.

"Fine..." the commander was reluctant and rather pissy at this point. "What do I have to give you in rturn for the note and the name of the man that came in here the other night?"

"Hm... Let's see... I could ask for a million dollars, or perhaps even anti gravity gear from you jarhead soldiers... No no, that won't do..." he tapped his chin a moment before his eyes brightened. "Get me a spacecraft."

"No. Something else."

"Oh, what a harsh man... Fine... Let me aboard your ship and let me get a close look at all this evidence you have hidden away and you can have the note and the name."

"How do I know you won't tamper with it? Or steal it? Or destroy it?"

"You've trusted me enough with the information that I've given you as of now, why can't you trust me with a few papers and some videos?"

"Because I've risked and taken lives for the sake of getting these papers and video documents."

"Always nice to hear a man admit to his crimes... Hm well you can trust me, for right now before I get my hands on the controls of your ship."

His blue eyes took a glance to his other soldiers before landing back on the expectant eyes of the man in front of him.

"We have a deal."

~*~

"What the hell is going through your mind, Erwin?" three different people had yelled at him at different moments and different reasons that evening.

First was from Hange, who was utterly concerned as to why he had let his feelings cloud him for a few moments. He answered with a quick explanation before he was left alone to get to his room, though Levi stopped him in the hall to question why he was even letting step foot on the ship.

And Mike, that damned man, he was in his room waiting like a bird of prey.

"And I thought for a moment that I had everyone off my back." Erwin stated flatly and the doors shut behind him.

Mike breathed out a quick laugh and his lips barely twitched into a smile. He sat in the chair facing Erwin's door with his leg over his knee and his elbows resting on the armrests, hands folded together. He was still deep in his formal mask, though the commander was far from it. His blond hair was let loose, his jacket wrinkled and his first two unbuttons undone. The man slipped his jacket from his shoulders and walked to the closet beside his bed to hang it up.

"What do you want from me today, Mike?" he asked

"I think you pretty much already know, Erwin." Green eyes flicked up from the floor to the commander ass he stepped back into the main room. "We both already know."

"I feel a lecture coming on and I am far too tired for it tonight." 

"You don't have a choice, really." A light pillow was launched off the bed as Erwin fell onto it in exhaustion. "You can ignore me, pull a pillow over your ears so you don't have to hear to me, but I will keep talking. I'm going to have you listen to me no matter what."

The commander slowly sat up and moved to the foot of his bed. "Fine. But if I fall asleep listening to you, it's your fault."

Mike let his leg fall and he relaxed his arms. "When in the fresh hell did you think it was a good idea to let that psychotic, pale mother fucker onto this ship?"

"I can't tell if you're talking about the man that runs the nightclub or Levi."

"You know which one I'm talking about, Erwin."

"When he said he had a face of the man that created the infection that killed thousands."

"And you honestly believe him?"

"Who would make that up at this point in the war?"

"The war against what, Erwin? What are we fighting? An illness that if we simply touch we die?"

"Yes! Because whoever this mysterious man is that drew this face, will lead us to the creature we need to find! And in that process the chance of finding a cure is high!"

"We talked with a man that completely lost his mind and you think the way we're going to win back our freedoms, and win back our homes is by listening to him? By going along with what he says? How do you even know that he truly isn't going to mess up our evidence we have so far?" he was raising his voice at this point and the commander answered with his own angered voice.

"Because at this point, all we can do is take chances and hope to whatever sick God that might be watching over us, that we might live, that this might work. And I don't know that he won't mess anything up, and I don't know he won't tamper with anything. But I'm taking the chance that this will take us one step further to what we need to find because I am, at this point, so sick and tired of aimlessly floating around the galaxy, and being called a monster because people die under my command. I am so sick and tired of everything at this point, and all I've wanted, for so damn long, is a loving, caring touch from someone. So before you begin questioning me about Levi, and before you beging scolding me for letting my feelings get in the way, here is my explanation. Since I left Marie behind, and was told she married Nile, I could do nothing more than wallow in my own self pity because my chance to live a normal life was gone because of the path I had chosen,

''I had chosen to leave Earth, leave San Fransisco to help the galaxy and every creature in it. I left behind the woman I loved, and the planet I loved, to sacrifice myself. And I, in my own way, backed myself up in a corner so I never once thought about the treacherous feeling. But you must understand, after a near five years of pushing yourself away from something you really need, it gets painful. So once Levi came along, I was already kept up at night thinking about what life would have been like if I had stayed at home. If I had stayed loving, and caring down at the surface. And I never once wanted to have even a twinge of regret about leaving Earth to go join the Federation. But I do. Somehow," his blue eyes searched the carpet by his feet, "Somehow I do. I regret helping. Though, I guess after you're called devil, murderer, monster for years, it kinda weighs you down, even though you sacrifice your all to try and save the hundreds instead of get them killed."

The silence now enveloping the room was deafening, and Mike felt a heavy pressure on his chest. He had, many times, though about how life had been if he hadn't joined the federation. If he hadn't left behind his family, his home and his friends. But then again, he wouldn't have ever met his best friend, nor the woman he so loved.

"You know I thought about it. And the pain I felt while thinking about it hurt, but whenever it did cross my mind, I could only think about how much it was effecting you."

Erwin's hands were on his thighs and he was taking shallow breaths, though quietly, his blond hair hanging. What a rare sight to see.

"Answer... Answer one last question and then I'll stop."

"What is it?"

"Are you holding onto the hope that this mysterious man that came into the nightclub was in fact your father?"

The commander blinked several times and tears fell, staining his pants. The bed dipped beside him and Mike wrapped his arm around him, pulling him into his shoulder. After the commander calmed, the two spoke quietly an gave each other sincere apologies before the old friend hesitantly left his friend alone in the comfort of his room.

As he did, Erwin swore he could hear the computer beep out to him in the far corner of the room where the authorization buzzer was. Not soon after, Levi walked in, distant from him, though Erwin looked up and that gave the corporal enough authorization to be let in. The dark haired man sat beside the other in an uncomfortable silence.

"Are you... Okay? Do you want to... talk at all?" Levi asked. If anyone knew how bad the smaller man was with helping a person with their feelings, it was Erwin.

"I... Mike helped me realize that I'm... That I'm hoping whoever this mysterious man in the bar is actually my father." he answered and felt fingers intertwining with his own. "He fits the description, at least educationally. I mean he's smart, educated, knows what he's talking about. Until I get a name and face description, I can't be entirely sure, but I just know that this is my father!" the little boy that was forced to grow up too fast could be seen in Erwin's eyes as they sparked before his teeth ground together and tears fell from his eyes. His voice was no more than a whisper. "It's a ridiculous thought, I don't know what I'm thinking. One too many beers and awfully eventful night can turn a man to a dreaming three year old."

"It's not ridiculous and I know you're not a lightweight, Erwin. Though perhaps a bit stupid at times,'' this brought a faint smile to the blond's face. ''Hey, look at me."

His hands softly cupped the commander's face and pulled him to look into his own blue eyes. "Yes?"

"Listen, you're not ridiculous. Well, sometimes, but the hope that you're going to find your father isn't in any way." he softly wiped his tears away. "I really think that is one of the sweetest things. And honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if we did in fact find your father, though one of my concerns is, how do you know by looking at him that this will be him? It's been what, twenty years since you last saw him?"

"Yes, that ran through my mind as well. But his eyes... In the time I've been alive, a person's voice and the familiar way they smell never change. And I for one know what scent my father has always held."

"And what's that?"

"The smell of tobacco."

~*~


	9. Chapter 9

"We're letting this crazy fuck onto Messene and we don't even know his name?" one of his friends asked behind him.

"Deca. Short for Decalage. It's Latin."

"And we're letting Deca on Messene?"

"Why are you circling questions around me like this? Did we not just have a ten minute conversation about what we were going to do?" he asked and looked over his shoulder. The group behind him all gave mumbles of confirmation and he turned back, waiting at the entrance.

The doors opened and the three soldiers gathered around Deca kept giving wary looks from the man to the commander. "Ah, commander Erwin Smith! Yet so lovely to see you!" he said and raised his arms, smacking the side of the elevator with his cane and the commander couldn't help but wince softly at the sight, and sound, of the impact.

"Deca." he shook his hand and brought him down the hallway towards the elevator. "Did you have a safe trip?"

"Well, your soldiers could have been a bit nicer, though I didn't stop talking. And I do believe refreshments should be offered on the shuttles."

Erwin pressed the glowing button on the wall and waited for the elevator to arrive, giving a desperate look to one of the cameras before the doors opened. Letting Deca in first, the white haired man looked around the elevator.

"It's so clean in here." he noted and wiped his thumb against a wall before looking over to the commander. "So, we're on our adventurous way to the secret documents?"

"Yes, and I'm hoping you have the note."

"Of course I do. If I'm called anything, I'm not a liar."

The doors opened and blue eyes flicked to the man before he stepped from the elevator, pale man behind him taking notes on everything he saw before a white door was opened and he was pushed inside by a firm hand.

He looked around, finding he was by himself in a room, mirrors on all sides and a glass floor underneath him. "Ah, this is interesting," he said and looked down, seeing people working underneath him in hazmat suits. "Commander, I must say you promised a close look to the documents."

"None of our hazmat suits are white, so I assumed you wouldn't want to try and get close." a voice buzzed into the room.

A worker climbed up a stepladder and pressed documents up against the glass, letting the white clad man get a close look to them, eyes scanning over the documents before the lights in the room he was in went out, leaving him in the dark before the mirrors flicked to television screens.

"Commander, there are far easier ways of doing this."

No reponse came from the other and videos played on high speed, starting a headache and whirring his mind into a mess, lights flashing quickly. He dropped his cane and grabbed his head, stepping back. He had been expecting to smash into a mirror, but felt arms catch him before his head moved to another realm as he tried to force himself back into a reality. Blinking harshly, he looked up to find a brown haired person in front of him, pressing something cold and damp to his forehead. Their glasses shined the lights above into his eyes and he blinked several times before rubbing his eyes.

"There you go, Deca. I think you'll be fine now."

Arms picked him up and his feet didn't move, he just felt himself moving somewhere, groaning softly occasionally before he was strapped into a shuttle seat, commander standing at the back door with his squad leaders around him.

"Thank you for visiting, do have a nice day. Oh, and thank you for the note." he said and his lips turned upwards. A true definition of a devilish grin. A smile crossed his own face and the door shut before they launched off.

Erwin watched the shuttle thunder away, air whipping around them all before he unfolded the note with care, seeing a sketch on one side in great detail before he took a deep breath, looking over to the other side. He knew his father's handwriting.

Eyes widened and he froze completely before his lips slowly spread into a smile.

"Blondie?" Levi asked as the other five waited for confirmation from the commander.

"He wasn't lying. Lets get thumbprints pulled off of this and DNA tests done, I need to connect a call to the federation headquarters," he handed the note to Mike and walked off, leaving the others to glance to each other.

"He's oddly calm about this."

"Give him a while, it'll come to him." Mike said and motioned for Moblit and Hange to follow so they could take the prized note to the laboratory.

Levi's feet brought him to the commander's quarters, finger lifting to press the buzzer, though the doors opened, revealing the commander with his head against the wall, eyes shut softly. He stepped in silently, the doors closing quietly and he saw the lights shift to point at him more. This stopped him in his tracks and he walkedcloser to the light positioned in the left corner of the room, checking the stand it was connected to, and found no way that it should be able to move on it's own like it did.

With more investigation and his mind on the thought that Deca had set something off or perhaps had a tool to hack into the system of Messene, he was a little surprised to find that he hadn't. The corporal instead stood and left the room, going down to the transportation hull, checking systems down there before going down to the heated boiler room where her soul drummed away, keeping them all alive and going in the galaxy.

Looking at the tall, green lights that glowed heavily as she drummed away made him stop, realizing this was the center of movement and the powerhouse of the ship. It was truly amazing to look at. After his distracted few moments, he turned to leave, though a figure of movement in the reflection of the glass in the doors caught his attention. It seemed to be watching him from where it stood. It's body was quite curved, hinting that whoever was watching him was female, and he turned his head, seeing nothing there despite the glowing heart of Messene.

But he suddenly felt calmed, like he hadn't just seen an unnamed someone standing and watching him from their place. He felt comforted by whatever had stood there, in the reflection. 

Like a guardian angel had been watching him.

He turned back to the doors and shook his head. That was a ridiculous thought. No guardian stood, watching him, and there was no little angel sitting on his shoulder. But as he reached the elevator, he saw the same feminine figure watching him from the reflection in the polished wall. He whipped around, for the fucks sake of seeing this person, but was met with a starled look from a brick built rookie.

The paranoia crept up on him and he angrily snapped his destination to the elevator, feeling it lift but stop, probably between two floors so he wouldn't have been able to get out of the elevator.

"For fucks sake," he said and rubbed his eye before leaning back against the wall. "Come on, Messene, you've been doing so well, don't stall just yet. We got to find Erwin's dad, you know that, you hear every conversation on the ship."

A jolt came to the lift before he felt it move again, taking him upwards to the deck level he had requested. With a sigh, he pat the wall. "Good job, Messene."

As he got back to the commander's room, he heard some soft conversation from within, a woman's voice echoing off the walls, Erwin talking in a soft voice, sounding in awe of whatever they had been discussing before hand. He stopped at the doors, listening quietly, feeling the cameras in the wall above the door watching him before the doors opened, those striking blue eyes staring forward at a part of the room, the plump lips apart as the sculpted commander sat in his seat.

"Erwin?" he asked and stepped inside, doors shutting behind him. "You okay? Who were you talking to?" 

"Messene."

"What about her?"

"I was talking to her."

Levi halted his movements towards the little box of biscuits on the tabletop, eyes darting back to the other, seeing pure confidence in his eyes. They glanced back to the cookies and he let out a soft, slightly nervous chuckle.

"Have you finally lost your mind, Erwin?"

"No, no really. I was speaking with Messene."

"You know those computer actions were destroyed in the last world war between Galucius and Tishus."

Fingers grabbed his wrist and stopped him, forcing him to look at Erwin. He was met with a searching stare.

"But you heard the woman's voice when you were standing at the door, didn't you? That's why you asked about who I was speaking to. You heard Messene."

"I know that your sleep schedule and mine are a bit messed up from your work schedule and other things, but who knows if we're hallucinating things at this point."

"Levi, I saw and spoke to Messene!"

The corporal nodded and twisted his wrist from Erwin's grip before he pulled him up and pushed him onto his bed. "To be honest, I think you need to try and sleep. People are working on the note and we'll probably get coordinates on where your father is in no time. It'll be one big family reunion and there'll be beer and god knows what else."

His fingers softly wove through Erwin's hair. "I don't want to go to sleep yet."

"I'll wake you later, I promise." he said, softly pressing his lips against the other man's forehead. In no time, the lumbering blond was snoring softly, making sure his face was nuzzled into the pillow, the other softly watching him in his sleep.

He could have slept as well, seeing how still and peaceful Erwin was for once in his sleep, but his mind was reeling, mostly on the shadow figure he saw in the reflections. They were in the shape of a woman, had they been Messene? No, that's not able to happen, she's a computer interface running an old space ship. Though if someone wore technical implants, she may have been able to project herself into that.

But then came again the stop sign, that she was too old and would wear out her interface for the sake of trying to get close. She had also heard Levi when he spoke in the elevator. His head hurt, this was tiring, but that goddamn relfection of the woman was watching him in the reflection of the picture frame on Erwin's shelf.

"What, Messene?" he bothered to ask, watching the reflection silently. "What do you need? He's tired." it shifted closer, standing directly behind him in his spot on the bed and he felt a pressing feeling on his shoulder. "Let Erwin rest for a while, he needs it. Out everything that knows that, you'd understand. The old man needs his rest."

The reflection turned it's head and looked down before the shadow dissipaited into the air, leaving Levi and Erwin alone. His eyes fluttered shut.

"Thank you, old girl."

~*~  
His eyelids felt so heavy when his body bothered to wake him up, pullling him from a deep, and actualy nice sleep. His body felt heavy as well, as if Messene was pulling him closer. A grumble rolled from him as he felt a hand on his shoulder trying to wake him up.

"Erwin." the voice said softly before a soft smack hit his cheek. "Get up, goddammit."

Blue eyes snapped open he frowned at Levi before stretching with an elongated "what?"

"We got DNA tests back." Erwin raised his head as the corporal spoke. "It's your father. We're going to pick him up now."

A silence settled over him before a genuine and beautiful smile crossed his lips, the man's head falling back against the pillows, chuckling softly before it turned into full laughter, rumbling from his stomach and chest. Levi leaned back on his hand, the other four behind him smiling, everyone simply listening to Erwin as they sat down in various areas of the comfortable and cheerful room.

When his happy laughter finally died down, he sat up. "How long until we get to where we're going?"

"Uhu, well," Hange said from their seat on the windowsill. "That's the catch...'' a bushy brow raised. ''He's on a transportation ship headed for Carandiru on charges of extortion, though he keeps saying he's framed."

"Then that just means we beat some MP ass, now get up and get shuttles, we're getting him off of there and making sure he doesn't step a foot on that station."

~*~  
The beat up shuttle rumbled and creaked on their way to Carandiru, the prison station. Every creature loathed the idea of having to go to Carandiru, and most were under control in their stations, planets, and ships to avoid having to go there, even for minor offenses.

Most on that shuttle had gotten into bar fights the previous nights, some drug dealers, the ones chained up with mouth covers and heavy guards on their wrists and ankles in the back were the most deadly ones, those convicted of murders, homicides, arson.

How the old man got there, was a huge question all there were thinking. The man simply sat in the back, eyes trained down at his feet. Covering his body was an old jacket, new-ish looking shirt and slacks, his shoes dusty. He had lost his privilege for his glasses, and ended up staring aimlessly at the blurs of his feet in the rumbling of the shuttle before he heard an alarm starting to go off on the computer module.

"What's it picking up?" a guard asked the pilot.

"I don't know, but it's a large ship, I'll try to contact it."

A hesitant silence shot through the shuttle before a connection was picked up. 

"This is shuttle fourty-two, headed to Carandiru, state your name and your business." the pilot said.

"This is Messene, you know that name." a voice came through.

"Yes, but where are you headed?"

"To get an innocent man off your ship."

"Trust me, all these men are convicted of crimes."

''The eldest one sitting on your ship, his last name is Smith, we're taking him off of your ship."

All heads turned to the elder man sitting in his seat, sandwiched between two large men. "Your last name Smith?"

He nodded, surprised that his name was known by anyone before another alarm started beeping.

"Messene, we're catching another large ship on our radar, are you catching it?"

"Bright as day, though it isn't slowing down."

"Ask them if they can see it's exterior in any way." the older man said from his seat, shifting forwards.

"Can you see it, Messene?"

"It's a new gunship. It shouldn't have even been produced yet."

"Tell them to get out of the way, we should too."

"We don't take orders from you." a young guard said and aimed his gun at him.

"No need to be dramatic, but whoever is in that large ship hurtling towards us probably won't take hostages."

"Be quiet."

"I'm simply stating facts-"

He was hit on the head roughly and everything was blurred, his hearing, time, and his sense of whatever reality was. When he came to, he felt hands gripping him, pulling him up, and huge surge of heat. Glasses were replaced on his nose and he blinked up at who held him upright. A tall man, dusty hair, green eyes, and some facial hair. His nose was large, but not the most outstanding thing about him. The way the man was currently looking at him was, like he had met someone of importance.

"I'm Mike Zacharias, I'm here to bring you onto Messene."

"Messene... Ah, that old girl."

He nodded, chuckling softly, though before the older man could do anything or react fast enough, Mike was knocked out and dropped to the ground, men in hazmat suis grabbing the other man and dragging him to the wide hole in the shuttle.

"Let go of me!" he said and struggled, simply being dragged along. "Oh fine!"  

He brought his elbow back into one's stomach, headbutting the other before the other jumped at him. His foot landed in their crotch and he watched them fall down, groaning. The other was on the floor, holding their nose in pain.

The older man limped away, his leg in pain from a collision, trying to find something to use to get his restraints off. His wrinkled eyes landed on a gun in the holster of the man from before, Mike, an idea coming to mind. He kneeled beside him and unclipped the weapon, pulling it from it's case. 

"I hope you don't mind if I borrow this, only for a while." he said turned off the safety off, firing at the conjoined part of the cuffs, flinching, though he looked down and gave a hum of content in his success of breaking the restraints off.

The man slipped the gun back in the man's holster, and raised his head, seeing one of the men in the back originally watching him, though he wasn't stuck in his own restraints. Instead, he was free, but there was an odd look to him, despite the blue veins and frothing mouth...

"Ah..." he trailed off before jumping back as the infected man pounced, though his teeth instead dug into the unconcious man's eye, causing the other to flinch and stand, running off with his limp.

There were to exits, one into a doorway into a ship, and another into a different ship, but for the life of him, he couldn't make a decision, even with the prowling and hungry things behind him. No doubt tha man on the floor was infected and now standing coming to kill him.

He stepped into one ship and it disconnected from the shuttle, starting to move away.

"Father!" a deep voice yelled and he turned around, seeing shining blue eyes, arched nose and jaw similar to his own, staring him in the face, blond haired man reaching out to get him.

"Erwin?" he asked, eyes widening.

The man extended his hand and he reached back in return, feeling the brush of his fingertips before he was dragged backwards, seeing the broken look in his little boy's eyes.

"No, papa!" he heard him yell before the door shut.

~*~

Stomping boots brought Levi down to the transportation hull as he heard shouts and yells, growls coming from the infected beings trying to get at the others in the ship. Erwin was down there, and God knew how stupid and reckless he was going to be to try and get his father back.

The x-ray machine had flicked from a picture of a broken bone to the current event going down in the hull, showing Erwin trying to grab someone's hand before he was grabbed by something and thrown onto the ground.

He was now crashing inside, soldiers following with their guns, some with blades as they fought off the face dancers in the hull and the Blue Dahlia infected men before he spotted Moblit dragging Erwin back from the chaos, his blue eyes closed.

Levi fired at one of the shuttles and it exploded, killing the face dancers in the radius and giving everyone time to kill the others in the hull before those drenched in the blood of their friends and the face dancers were able to stop, at least for a while, until a groan of pain came from the commander in the far corner.

Hange was lifting him onto a stretcher and got him away quickly, Levi following them to the infirmary where Moblit was panicking on where the proper tools were for what they needed to do as Erwin bit something to keep his noise to a minimum.

"What's happening?" he asked, immediately going to Erwin.

"Messene's systems aren't working properly. She suffered bad damage to her side and messed something up. The thing I would have used in Erwin's case is gone."

"And what is that exactly?"

"A laser for amputation. The infection is spreading fast in his arm."

"Use a blade to cut it off. They're usually sharp, and if we need to, we can heat it with guns and alcohol." Hange said

Moblit nodded and ran off to get one, Hange trying to calm themselves as Levi leaned over Erwin, wiping sweat from his forehead as he removed the thing from his mouth to kiss him softly, feeling the man try and kiss back. Steps indicated tat Moblit was back and he replaced the thing in Erwin's mouth, taking his hand softly.

A hesitant look came from the other man, hands holding the blade. A nod came from evi and he made sure Erwin couldn't see, holding him close. Blond hair was splayed across his shoulder and the man pushed into his neck more as hange opened up the full bottle of whiskey Moblit had gotten and forced Erwin to drink it.

The man instead grabbed the bottle with his free hand and began chugging it down, slamming it down on the bed and shutting his eyes, letting the alcohol kick in for a moment.

"I need to do it now or he's fucked." Moblit said and Levi held Erwin closer, giving a nod, shutting his eyes as the blade was brought down.

~*~


	10. Chapter 10

The blond was asleep still the next day, IV in his arm that was draped across his heaving chest, peacefully sleeping underneath the thin blankets. The machine beside him beeped away, his heart rate steady. He was in the middle of the curved medical ward, a soldier on a far bed watching him in silence as his shoulder was wrapped up.

The ship was quiet, the loss of Zacharias, the right hand man of the commander hitting everyone hard, and all knew how badly he would be hurt when the information was spread to him once he wke up. Acting commander Hange was silent most of the time, any orders were quiet, and no one felt fully there that day, Nanaba nowhere to be seen and gone during the mess of the fight between the Messene and the unknown ship that hurtled its way at them.

Captain Levi was as quiet as usual, but his face was more sunken, his eyes looking more tired. As one of the 104th regiment had walked into the cafeteria that day, they had seen the captain leaning against a table, head hanging deeply, his silent mourning of the deaths of his friends during the empty hour.

They had left him alone and hadn't spoken about it to their friends, simply letting the man go through what he needed.

The day before had been a flurry of emotions, all coming and going in less than five minutes. He had a headache, his ankle was sore, his back was sore, and his ear ached from the explosion from the day before. It had gotten rid of most of the face dancers, but also damaged the other shuttles in the hull.

Now, he was trying to find the energy to get himself up from his seat in the commander's room. He had simply gone there to get a book and get back to the other, but he found himself staying for a while, eyes skittering across the stars that were slowly rotating, but that was Messene, slowly turning in the darkness of space.

His eyes spotted the reflection again and he heard a whisper from behind him.

"Erwin needs you."

"Thank you, Messene.'' he said and stood, tapping the wall softly to show his thanks, watching the shadow leave again.

In the infirmary, Erwin was clenching his jaw, drenched in sweat, running a fever. Moblit injected something into the side of his neck and got him a cup of water, letting Levi help him drink it. The commander struggled, his lips dry and sticking to the glass, though he took in with gratitude, gripping the smaller mans wrist as he attempted to pull the glass away. Once it was fully empty, the glass was allowed to sit inbetween Levi's thighs. His fingers laced into Erwin's and he brushed his hair away, wiping his sweat.

"I saw him. Levi I saw my father. He was right there, I could have taken his hand." the blond's voice was gruff.

"And how did he look?"

"Older, but healthy. He was always healthy."

"That's good." he had no clue how to break the information that Mike and Nanaba were killed in action, but he didn't have to.

"Messene told me that Mike is gone, with his love."

Levi's eyes drifted slowly from the tired face of his own love to the bandaged stump on Erwin's right side, rubbing his thumb against his hand. "Yeah..." he said. "But they're at peace now, wherever they are.''

"Good," the man answered, letting his head rest against his pillow, eyes shutting again. "They deserve it."

Something about Erwin's calm attitude set him off internally, wanting to yell about the arm, about how he nearly died, and the pain he must have gone through, having his father in his grasp to just lose him, and the deaths of his friends. Though he must have caused him to notice, probably from squeezing his hand, unnoticed by himself.

"Levi, are you angry at me?"

"For some reason..."

"I'm not dead, I'm right here."

"I know... But Mike and Nana... They are and you're acting perfectly fine."

"Because I've somehow just internalized death. Found it as a normal thing I'm going to see, no matter who it is. Really, I feel the tears at the backs of my eyes, they just don't want to be seen. Wherever they are, I know they're happier. Working on this ship brought hell."

His eyes cast downwards and he felt his hand being squeezed. "But if I could bring them back, I would, in a heartbeat."

His finger danced over the blond's hand, tracing and mapping it out, letting the silence take over in the infirmary, just hearing the silent beeping of the heart monitor screen beside them. "We'll get them back." he whispered, leaning closer and kissing Erwin's forehead. "Your father, your friends, we'll get them back and take you back home, how does that sound?"

"Sounds like an impossible promise." his cracked and sad voice answered.

But with Erwin, nothing was impossible.

~*~

As Hange continued being acting commander, Erwin healed in the infirmary, also finding out that a prosthetic arm would be made and fitted to his size. This started late in the next month, the robotic arm being built and brought aboard to the commander by specialists, Moblit working alongside to connect it.

Using his DNA and some tools, the prosthetic would connect automatically and stick to his arm, connecting with his muscles and also being able to recieve orders from the brain to extend his fingers and close his fist, move his joints, and also give him more strength in that arm. To the commander, it was meant to feel like an ordinary arm.

The lining in the elbow connected to the actual arm was a dark blue, the rest a dark silver. It was pretty badass to look at as well, giving the commander the extra edge and 'war torn' soldier look. He was pretty impressed by it, and was looking at it in slight awe.

"How does it feel? Feel connected yet?" Moblit asked and finished a screw, the commander waiting for the feel of something.

Something clicked and he lifted it upwards carefully as he had been briefly instructed by the specialists, turning it over as well.

"Alright, bend your arm." He was told and did so. "Fingers work alright? Check."

After a few more excersises, he was able to stand, pushing himself up from his seat and playing a quick game of catch with a rubber ball to make sure the arm was in working order. After some silent discussion, some nagging and a bit more touch ups, the commander was left with his friends to sit and admire the arm before he rolled his shoulders, hearing a satisfying pop.

"Do I get my chair back now, Hange?"

"Yes, commander."

He gave a soft smile before Levi tossed a pair of pants and a shirt to him, his usual uniform that he had missed dearly when he was stuck in the hospital clothes of sweats and a paper shirt. Moblit went to use the bathroom and the other went back to the bridge, leaving Levi to sit on the bed as Erwin changed. He was surprised and how sculpted he still was since he had been inactive for a month and wasn't eating well during the waves of pain, both mentally and physically.

Levi had directed his eyes to another part of the room, watching the screen in the far corner that showed the Wings of Freedom wavering and twirling slowly, the wallpaper for the computer. His interest was in watching that before he shifted his sight to the curved rear of the other man who was currently pulling his pants on, the metal fingers gripping the jeans easily to help slip the pants on.

"I feel your eyes on me, Levi."

"Yeah, they're somewhere on you."

The blond looked over his shoulder and grey eyes flicked up briefly before replacing where they were before hand. The little smirk came back to his face before he buttoned up his shirt, pressing it down carefully to make sure there were no wrinkles in it. 

Arms slowly wrapped around his waist and hands placed themselves on his chest, feeling a sigh being let out in his back. He set his own hands on the smaller pair, shutting his eyes softly and relaxing into him. "Hey, Levi."

"Hey, Erwin."

He shifted and turned, wrapping his arms around the smaller man and held him in silence before pulling back, kissing him softly, a soft kiss. The doors opened on the left side and the commander stepped back, the corporal turning around to find MP storming in through the doors.

"Do you have authorization to be in here?" the commander asked and the corporal stood his ground.

"Did you have authorization to ram into one of our shuttles and let our officers and convicts become infected while you're on a frantic chase for something that isn't there?" Nile responded, rushing inside with a nightstick in hand, Hange and Moblit entering in through the right doors. 

"I was informed that there was an innocent man aboard your ship, one that was a great deal of aid to the problem with the Blue Dahlia."

"And your information came from a bloody nightclub owner!"

"He wasn't lying, either. He recieved no information on the Blue Dahlia, nor the documents, but we did get a very crucial part of evidence that we needed and will help us find the man that started this."

"You want me to believe you, after you got people killed?" Nile charged forth and grabbed the commander by the shirt, the commander grabbing his collar back.

"I always get people killed, and you best believe me or everyone else in this galaxy will die! Blue Dahlia is spreading faster, and if you stop me, then there is no way that we can find the person that started this all, all this death!"

Nile, fuming in anger, kept his chin out and his eyebrows together before shoved the commander back, dropping his arms at his sides. "Fine, Smith. But explain what the hell your plan is."

~*~  
Organized around a large table, he used the holographic screen to show his plan of attack against the large ship, now currently holding his father hostage and probably holding the cure to the Blue Dahlia. Several ships would come in from the East, others attacking from the West, Messene standing in North to attack if she needed, altogether cornering the large gunship.

"You're putting an ancient warrior against a new soldier," Nile said and crossed his arms. "There's no way this is going to work."

"I'm not planning on having Messene fight this gunship. She's there soley for intimidation."

"You want to give all the strength to the small gunships around her?"

"Ah look, we might actually have some intelligent life down here." Levi interrupted and Nile ignored the comment and Erwin's grin after he spoke.

"You do realize that this is a suicide mission? For everyone?" the other commander asked. "You could have the best of the fleets at your orders, but we don't even know what this gunship is capable of. For all we know, it could have nuclear weapons on it's ship."

"I do know that this is probably a suicide mission, but every mission that I have gone on, either as a soldier or commander, has held the title of suicide misson. Soldiers die, but I'm willing to give my own life for the sake of trillions across the universe."

He was met with silence before the other commander gave a sigh. "Fine, I'll contact federation headquarters, devise a plan, get the information spread. In the meantime, I need to speak with you, privately."

"Of course, commander Dok." he said and stood straight from leaning against the table in a serious manner.

The others left them to discuss private matters, and Levi headed straight for the bedroom he and the other shared on countless times, seating himself on the foot of the bed before letting himself fall back, stretching out.

This could very well be the last mission they ever go on.

~*~

"We're getting something, sir." came a voice, buzzing in the left side of his head. He pulled his eyes open, looking to the pilot, their green eyes looking back expectantly. The commander of the MP stood and walked to his chair. 

"What is it?"

"Large gunship, should be directly in front of us... But... It keeps fizzing out, and I don't see anything. I think they're trying to land on Earth."

He raised his eyes from the radar to the large glass window in front of them, serving as their windshield. Nothing could be seen despite the large globe of Earth and he was slowly distracted before sighing. "Where the fuck is Messene and her commander?"

"Commander Smith said he would be here when you gave the order, and so far, you haven't. The other gunships are waiting as well. But we don't see anything."

"Yes, I can tell!" He walked back to his seat and pressed several buttons on the keypad, small hologram of the blond commander face coming up. "We can't see a single thing with our own eyes, but the radar is catching something."

"Cloaking technology."

"I thought that was illegal."

"It is. This ship is also illegal."

"Right, okay."

"The man now running the ship is also the man that started the Blue Dahlia."

"How do we know that this man is truly who we're looking for?"

"I have my reasons. He'll also probably try and kill us all, so,"

"Right, okay. What do you propose we do?"

"Fire at wherever the blip is on the radar. We're coming."

Nile gave the authorization and the pilots began firing forth with machine gun fire, hitting something multiple times. "You were right, cloaking technology."

"I usually am right."

"Shut up."

"I'm catching the gunships right now, commander." the pilot intervened.

In less than a minute, all the gunships were firing towards whatever invisible thing stood in the center, slowly ripping away it's shroud. It presented itself as a large ship, black and deadly looking. Though also looked like a copy-paste of Messene, though this one had more antennae.

"Erwin isn't going to be happy about this."

Just as he spoke, Messene could be seen rising up from the darkness, her wings stretched out heavily, her bird of prey body beside the other large gunship. He moved his eyes to the blue hologram of his old friend and saw him raising his brow in the direction of the other gunship.

"They could have at least had some more creativity."

He smirked and breathed a laugh from his nose. "I was waiting for you to come in with something."

"Ready, Nile?"

"Ready if you are."

A nod came from the hologram and they both ordered their pilots.

"Send the missiles!"

Thousands of missiles were sent from the other two large ships in the region and flew towards the unnamed gunship, spiraling away. A rumble came from the Survey Corps side, and he looked to the hologram, seeing the commander bracing himself before he turned his eyes back to the black ship, seeing guns firing at the missiles coming towards it, causing some to explode, though others crashed into her sides, though didn't explode.

"Everyone, arm your weapons, put them on stun. We have several targets to find."

"Erwin fucking Smith."

"Yes?"

"You sent shuttles into the sides of the ship instead?"

"We have people to find. Keep us safe, will you?" With that, the hologram flickered away.

~*~

They had crashed into the residential rooms of the ship, though found them utterly empty of creatures. With their suits on and weapons at the ready, they followed their commander and their corporal through the halls in silence.

"We'll have to split off in seperate directions, though I'm not doubting that this man is on the bridge. It might serve as a better idea." the commander said. "Levi, take half the group, go down to other floors, search for a laboratory, or the designated room of the commanding officer's. I'll take the rest to the bridge. We'll all have to split off at some point."

"Yes sir. Half of you, down that hall." he ordered and the commander ordered the rest to keep going. He stood in the same place before turning to the smaller male, softly setting his hand against the glass of the man's helmet, his face and beautiful eyes illuminated by the lights on the inside.

"You promise to live through this?" the blond asked.

"Of course I do."

He reluctantly pulled his hand away and walked down the hall, following his soldiers. Levi watched him before going to his own group. As he arrived, all head turned to him, waiting for their orders.

"We're searching through each floor for the so called 'cure' for the Blue Dahlia. Some of you will be in the room searching, others will have to protect the doorways in case of unwanted guests."

The search went on for several minutes before several soldiers belonging to the ship they had so crashed into came down the hall with their own guns, firing rapidly. Of course the Survey Corps shot back, all accounted for at the end of the fight before they felt the ship heave and groan.

"We need to quicken the pace,'' he barked. "Who knows how much time we have left here."

Groups of three were established along the corridors and on each level, trying to find any sign of something that would at least resemble a cure for an illness. Viles of nothing were found and Levi felt a connection coming through in his helmet. He pressed the button on the side of it just as the entire ship shook and he heard explosions.

"Erwin?!"

"I'm here, look, the cure-" he fizzled out.

"I can't hear you."

"The cure- in him."

"The cure is in the man?"

"Yes! Messene is coming to get us-" another explosion intterupted them and he heard screeching in his connection, slamming the button on his helmet.

"Alright, get to the shuttles, leave a few for the commander and I to get back. Messene is supposed to be coming to get us, but something intervened. If Messene isn't in good condition, go back to the MP ship."

"What are you going to go do?"

"I'm going to go save the commander's ass."

~*~

He slammed the bridge door open with his shoulder and stepped into a desstroyed bridge, a man in a mask  standing on one side with his gun pointed to the commander, Erwin's veins slowly becoming blue with his arms raised. He was grinding his teeth and awkwardly moving his head, trying to fight off the infection for as long as possible.

"What do you want from me?" the man asked, his voice changed by something in the mask. "The cure?"

"That's the only reason why I haven't died yet." the commander growled back, still struggling with the infection running through his blood.

"You're not going to get it." Levi noticed the belt of viles on the man's body. "This is mine," he started unbuckling it and held it close. "Keeps ME alive, no one else!"

"What caused you to have such a grudge against existence?"

"The galaxy needs a ruler, someone to unite everyone!"

"So you're going to kill everyone to get what you want?"

"No, people will live through Judgement Day. And they will be my followers. I'll be a god, revive the galaxy. People will flock to me for their lives back."

A large shadow started moving closer and Levi noticed the two sitting in the pilots seats, Moblit and Hange, looking confident. His eyes moved back to the man in the mask before Levi growled.

"Gods don't bleed."

Messene crashed into the large ship, causing the three to be blown back, Levi hearing smashes and explosions from around the bridge. Something hit his forearm and snapped in half, one half of it cutting across his eyebrow, flinging blood against the wall behind him. He looked up to see Erwin with a bleeding nose, red blood running dark blue as it dripped from his nose. The third man was trying to stand, his leg snapped in half and his ear bleeding since he was closest to an explosion. He was limping away, but his leg started steaming, slowly fixing itself as he limped to the exit. The commander pushed himself up and followed, staggering to the man.

Levi, still dizzy, pulled himself up and followed Erwin down the hall, turning the corner to see him punch the man across the face roughly, near knocking his mask off. The man shoved him back and the blond grabbed the man by the back of his shirt, pulling him to his chest and dragging him back.

"Open up one of the shuttles, Levi." he growled, gripping onto whatever humanity was left in him.

He helped the commander get the man down to one of the shuttles and strapped the man in with several belts before Erwin grabbed his arm.

"Strap me down so I don't do anything..."

"Erwin-"

"Listen to me for once!" he yelled and his grip tightened. "Strap me down to a seat in the back, make sure I don't do anything until we get on Messene. Once we're there, I'll try and explain the rest."

The corporal nodded and pulled his arm away, strapping Erwin down and gently wrapping one around the commander's mouth, tightening it in the back so he couldn't use his teeth to get himself from his restraints. He flicked te switches on in the pilots seat and pulled away from the wreckage, flying up to Messene. During the flight, he could hear Erwin struggling against himself in the back, growling and groaning. The one time he did look over his shoulder, he saw the commander pulling and shaking violently in his seat, trying everything to get himself from the restraints. But as he had calmed himself and opened his eyes, tears dripped from them.

They both knew he would try and kill Levi.

He got them into the transportation hull of Messene and shoved a tied up masked man to Moblit, pulling Erwin up from his own seat with the help of Hange.

"Is he infected?" they asked and he gave a quick nod as he carefully unwrapped the gag from Erwin's mouth.

"Alright," the blond panted, his hair now a much more pale shade and his skin clammy, veins glowing blue and eyes wild. "You put me on the bridge with Jason over there. Everyone gets in shuttles and goes to the MP ship. I want this entire thing evacuated in under fifteen minutes."

They were pulling him along to the bridge, making sure everyone was a good distance from him as they did so. "You're really planning on getting yourself killed this time?" Hange asked and dragged up the man nicknamed 'Jason'.

"Not entirely." he answered.

He was put inside the bridge, his restraints cut off and giving him full freedom with the other next to him. Before Levi was forced from the bridge, he looked to the other. 

"What's your plan here, Erwin? Die?" he asked, desperate.

The shaking blond turned around and looked to the smaller male, a hint of humanity left in his eyes. "I'll figure it out as I go along." he answered and took a step forth, cupping the back of Levi's neck as he pressed his lips to the glass spot of his helmet that covered his forehead. "Now run."

The corporal was shoved back and Hange pulled him away, locking the bridge door behind them.

"Alright so that greasy little man that's obbsessed with full domination across the universe gave me a hint, that no one else would understand, but you know how on that ship a while back, the one that looked like a farm of bodies?"

"Yeah."

"I think his ship is holding an entire farm of bodies."

He stopped in the hall and looked up to the other. "You want us to go back, don't you?"

"No, I already sent a squad to search. They've found unconcious Nanaba and Mike. I've been right about my thoughts."

They were pulled onto the last shuttle, Levi staring silently at his feet as the shuttle thundered away from Messene. As he lifted his eyes and looked through the glass, he saw the womanly figure staring at him, a shadow standing in the middle of the transportation hull.

"So when a person dies from the Blue Dahlia, their body grows, from a plant and it's like that person's copy, a clone." Hange continued. "But they don't know if Mike and Nana will live, this is all very new."

"We should get onto the other ship. More investigation.''

"That was just as I was thinking..."

He gave a look to Moblit that was giving them both stares. "We're not hijacking the shuttle.'' Levi stood, Hange following and Levi knocked the pilot out, shoving him out of the chair to take over. "This is a stupid idea, you two!"

"I know." The corporal answered and steered the shuttle to the unauthorized gunship, crashing into a hole another shuttle had shot into the side of it. 

"What are we looking for?''

"Erwin's father.''

The smallest of the three kept his gun out and protected them as the other two searched for signs of life in the ship before it rumbled, pulling down suddenly. "Levi, when you were on the bridge, did you notice how close the ship was to Earth?" Hange asked

"No, I hadn't."

"We're definitely being pulled into it's rotation and atmosphere.'' the other said. "Let's find the old man and get back to the shuttle before going to the MP ship.''

The scanner in Moblit's hand began flashing and beeping, showing a sign of life in the next room. Levi kicked in the door and held his gun up, finding a pale blond haired man with blue eyes and roun glasses staring back in return with his hands tied together with zipties.

He lowered his gun and Hange began speaking.

"I'm Hange Zoe, this is Moblit Berner and Levi Ackerman. We're good friends of your son." The ziptie handcuffs were cut off by the corporal and he helped the man stand.

"Nice to meet you all." he answered and the ship lurched before they felt it pull forward, going faster.

"We need to move." Levi said and dragged them all from the room, everyone being smashed into the cieling by the lurching and pulling from the ship losing it's gravitational pull before they were smashed back into the floor and slid several feet.

The rumbling abruptly stopped, but the sound of dripping water could be heard.

"Are we... Underwater?" the eldest there asked.

"I think so." Hange answered and Levi looked out a window. 

"It's not very dark, I don't think we're deep."

"Oh, well, you three should go, I'm a lost cause." the man answered and sat down carefully with a small smile before his shirt was grabbed by a pissy corporal and a helmet was shoved onto his head, the anit-gravity gear being hooked onto his pants.

"I'm going to open this door, here," he said and pointed. ''We're all going to be sucked out. Once that happens, you press these buttons, understood?" 

The man nodded and Levi pulled open the door, the four of them being painfully sucked out of the hull and into freezing water, the corporal's fingers wrapped around the older man's gear. They were launched up from the water and he felt himself able to breathe before he fell down into a sandy shore, hitting it like a rock since he still had his gear on. He groaned as he landed, rolling onto his side and coughed. His hair hung down to the ground and water dribbled off of it, water soaking his face and some sand stuck to his cheek as well as he coughed and hacked.

With his strength, he pushed himself up and got himself on his knees, leaning forward to catch his breath before soundwaves started pushing against his ears. It grew louder, and louder, forcing him to look upwards. Messene was hurtling down towards the water, some of her frame on fire, some debris following her down through the fog.

Wind whipped around him and he watched the old girl hurtle down, smashing into the water in front of him, causing a large wave to go upwards and slam down onto him. He simply covered his head with his arms as the water came crashing down before it settled down to mist.

He lifted his head and saw the waves coming up and brushing against the knees of his suit before pulling back, some debris landing near him. He looked around for any sign of something that could help him keep above the water so he could get to the ship to search for Erwin.

No... no... Let him rest. Commander Erwin Smith deserved his rest.

As he was going to fall back to wait for someone to come and find him, he something emerging from the water which caught his attention. Built out of machinery and wires was the feminine figure he had seen watching him the past while, though she was much taller than in her reflection. Her exterior was a dark grey, at least eight feet tall and large wings extending from her with points at the ends that reflected claws, carrying a damp and unconcious commander in her arms. 

The light green of her eyes glowed a darker color as she looked down to the man in her arms as she exited the water and kneeled onto the sand, sitting back on her heels before placing the unconcious man onto the ground sand, twenty feet away from the corporal who was staring in awe.

He pushed himself up and stumbled over to the commander, falling to his knees in front of him. He noted the two arms and pushed his damp hair from his eyes, softly rubbing his thumb against his cheek before he placed his hands on the man's chest, starting CPR.

Levi pushed down quickly and in a harsh manner many times, to no avail. He clenched his jaw and started hitting his chest with his fist multiple times, speaking with each hit.

"Wake. The. Fuck. Up. You. Bastard!" he yelled, though nothing more happened than Levi causing his hand to ache. A chortled cry left him and he laid his head slowly on the man's chest, crying softly before he sat up abruptly, lip quivering. "Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat." 

With that he slammed his fist into the broad chest again and the man arched and coughed water from his lungs, sitting up and reaching out for something. His hand was taken by a much larger one and he opened his eyes, blinking and coughing still before falling to the side to be met by Levi's warm body and embrace.

Blue eyes looked up to grey and he reached up, wiping away the tears that was falling from his love's eyes. "You shouldn't show your weaknesses to your enemies.'' he whispered.

"We're not meant to be enemies any longer.'' the other responded. 

The commander turned his head and met glowing green eyes before his eyes skittered over the body of the metal woman, feeling her large hand squeeze his own. "Erwin." she said, smiling before brushing sand from his cheek to rid of sand. "Oh how long I've wanted to be able to speak with you properly.''

He looked up at her, blue eyes gleaming. ''You've become a whole new interface.'' he said

"Only for a short while, darling. Until I see you off safely. I've been wanting to see you off home for so long, to see you reunited with your family. I'm so glad I've been able to.''

''This sounds like goodbye.''

"Thank you for taking care of me Erwin, and for taking me on such amazing adventures. I'll be waiting, down in the water, for the next adventurous being. Eventually, I must retire.'' 

She smiled and hugged the two humans to her breast, Erwin shutting his eyes in the odd comfort of the embrace before Levi watched her dissipate away into the water, heading back to her main body. She left behind a chunk of metal, a smooth green ball that glowed softly.

The corporal and commander stayed on the sand for a long moment, simply staring at the lines in the sand that Messene had left behind when she left them to live. Hoots and yells came from Levi's right side and he looked up, seeing their friends running towards them with the older man following. The commander was practically pounced upon and the dark haired man stood, going to greet Mr. Smith as sirens wailed. Fire crews, police, and ambulances alongside military vehicles were rushing to them.

He stood up on a rock and watched them drive down to them as the wind whirled around them continuously.

Each person was rewarded with a blanket and the corporal wove through the vehicles in silence as conversation littered around the pack of motor vehicles. He stood at the edge of a hill and watched police on the shore, investigating something in the water. When he looked over his shoulder, he saw Hange and Moblit sharing their blankets in an embrace while spotting Mike and Nana running to Erwin even though nurses were yelling at them. The commander stood from beside his father and was met with a strong hug from his friends before he quickly began introducing everyone, the other two going to see their friends with a tight embrace.

Damp, black hair swayed as he turned back to his view, looking over to the large bridge that was painted a bright red. The Golden Gate Bridge. He'd always wanted to see it when he was stuck up on 213. The wind was slowing but the fog stayed the same, the cold trying to get at him. Though it made no difference, he pulled the blanket tighter around him and his bulky suit, simply watching the waves and the ships coming in.

Steps came up behind him and he glanced to the side to find the commander staring out at the water, blond tufts swaying in the wind. The grey blanket around his shoulders was loose and his blue eyes continued staring out at the horizon.

Levi took that as a reminiscent moment and looked out to the water as well before he spoke up.

"What you do up there?" he asked, voice quiet. ''When you were up there on Messene with that psycotic fuck, what did you achieve?"

A deep breath was taken in by the commander and exhaled his words. ''I sent an explosion out in a nuke powerful enough to kill thousands, but the cure fought off the radiation. It's currently sending a blast radius across the galaxy and will echo back in.. Hm,'' the man checked his wrist like he was looking at a watch. ''Three thousand years? Maybe more? Yeah, seems about right.''

A soft snort came from the dark haired man and he pulled his blanket tighter around himself. ''Show off.''

''Don't fight it, you love me.''

''I do love you.''

Strong arms wrapped around him and pulled him into the commander's chest. ''Awe, Levi, I love you too, though it took you long enough to say anything.''

"Shut up,'' he said defensively but couldn't help and lean into the warm body of the blond. He softly wrapped his fingers around Erwin's right wrist and found it was flesh instead of metal. ''You have an arm now?''

"Don't ask me how I got it back, it was there when I woke up in your arms. Which was quite cliche of you, too.''

"Okay, you lost your right to cuddle me.'' Levi started pulling away.

"I literally died for all of existence and you want to take away my right to hold you?"

"You have a point there.''

"I know I do.''

"Smart-ass.'' He felt the rumble of Erwin's chuckle in his chest and let out a big sigh. "So what do we do now?'' 

"What do we do now?''

"Yeah... I mean.. Your life has always been searching for your father and exploring the galaxy. Either way, both of our lives have been pretty suspenseful. I can't entirely imagine ourselves settling down somewhere.''

''I can. It'll be a shift, but I can see us settling down. It's about time we take a rest from everything, don't you think?''

"You really think we can?''

"Yeah. I really do.''

Grey met blue and saw that glimmer in them that he loved before he softly cupped his cheek, Erwin leaning down to kiss him softly. The smaller male only pulled away a small distance, eyes skimming up from the soft lips of his love's to the hooked nose, following up to his eyes.

"I'm so happy I decided to follow you, Erwin.''

"I am too. So much more than you could imagine.''

~*~


End file.
